


The Switch of Fate - Ocarina of Time

by USA_Tiger



Series: The Switch of Fate Series [1]
Category: Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-26
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2017-12-09 13:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 124,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/774849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USA_Tiger/pseuds/USA_Tiger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fate of two of the tri-force holders are switched, how much is the same and how much changes...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time belong to Nintendo and the guy who made these characters, I'm just borrowing them for the time being.

 

The Switch of Fate

By: USA Tiger

 

Warnings: This story will contain slash/Shōnen-Ai, meaning that there is a relationship between two males. If this isn’t your thing then please exit this story.

 

Author Note 10-16-14: SageofSlashes from AO3 has volunteered to go back over the chapters to get all the bad grammar that I totally missed. So thanks to them ^_^

 

Chapter 1

 

Link sat on the ground, looking up in a bored way as the Great Deku Tree rambled on about someone coming from a desert, whatever that was, before launching into a story of the making of Hyrule. The young Kokiri stopped listening at this point. Truth be told, he had already heard of this legend from his best friend Saria. He used this time to go over what had happen that day in his mind. If he did happen to miss anything, he was sure Navi would tell him about it.

 

The morning was normal enough, starting with the nightmares he had been having for several weeks now. It was always one of two but both had the same basic theme. Both started out the same, a large wooden bridge lowering from a stone wall before flashing to a woman riding on the back of a white horse with a child sitting in front of her. Sometimes it would be a blue eyed girl wearing a dress with a scared look on her face, and other times it would be a boy with ruby eyes looking back with a concerned look on his face. After the horse rode off into the distance the scene would look back to the bridge where either a mean looking man with green skin, a sneer on his face, sat on a black horse or it would be a bunch of different men riding horses riding after the first horse with the woman and the boy.

 

That morning, in the throes of his nightmares, his new fairy partner Navi had came in, waking him up. At first he had been excited; he finally had a fairy partner making him not such an odd ball anymore. After a couple of hours, Link was ready to squash the annoying ball of blue light. Being greeted by his best friend Saria afterward, Link had set off to see the Great Deku Tree since Navi kept saying the tree wanted to see him. The look on Mido's face was enough to make up for the stubbornness the red headed Kokiri showed when he refused to let the blond through unless he had a sword and shield with him. It had taken Link an hour to find a sword, only finally finding it after Saria mentioned the Kokiri Sword that was hidden in the training ground. It took another half hour to find enough rupees to buy a shield. Most of the funds had come from Mido, not that the other boy knew that..... yet.

 

Once again amused by the look on Mido's face when Link proudly showed off his new sword and shield, he was finally let through to the Great Deku Tree. This led to him going inside the said tree to save the giant Deku from the curse that was put on him. Which earned him a lot of bruises and cuts but he was proud that The Great Deku Tree asked him and not some other Kokiri, say like Mido, to take on this task. And Link was even prouder when he had killed Queen Gohma, ending the curse that was placed on the talking tree. Plus he had gotten a cool sling shot as well. Of course that excitement was cut short when the Deku Tree announced that he was dying anyway and all Link's work had been in vain.

 

Link was brought out of his musings when Navi hit him on the head, meaning that the Great Deku Tree was finished with his tale. Link stood, brushing off the dust on his tunic before looking up in the giant face of the Deku Tree.

 

"Link, go now to Hyrule Castle. There, ye will surely meet the Princess of Destiny. Present this stone to the Princess. I have foreseen that she will understand everything," the Deku Tree said, his voice sounding weaker and weaker, as a green light appeared in front of him. The light flashed brightly before turning into the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, otherwise known of the Kokiri Emerald, it floated down into Link's waiting hands; where from there the young Kokiri stashed it in a hidden pocket in his tunic. “You are courageous Link. Go...od...bye... Navi...”

 

Link and Navi watched in horror as the Great Deku Tree slowly lost color, the once brown bark turned grey.

 

"Let's go to the castle," Navi said after staring at the now dead Deku Tree for a few minutes. Link just turned and ran out of the clearing, Navi stayed behind a few more seconds. "Goodbye... Great Deku Tree," she said softly before flying off after her charge.

 

*******

 

"What happen!?!" Mido asked as soon as Link stepped back into the village, getting into the blond’s face. The red head noted the sad drawn look on the other's face. “Did... did the Great Deku tree.... die?" Link could only turn his face to the ground. Horror and sadness crossed not only Mido's face, but the other Kokiri close by as well. They had all felt the life energy leave their protector, leaving them feeling empty.

 

"How could you!" Mido screamed in outrage. “You killed him!"

 

"No I didn't Mido, how or why would I?" Link hissed looking up at the other boy. But the red head didn't listen to the smaller kid's words.

 

“I will _never_ forgive you," Mido hissed to back before he spun on his heel, running toward his home. The other Kokiri children looked over at Link, who was glaring after Mido before his gaze softened and turned to the others.

 

“I didn't kill the Great Deku Tree, I tried to save him," he said before running off himself toward the entrance of the village that led to the outside world. As he neared it, Link slowed down to a walk and eyed the hallow trunk that served as a tunnel. Did the Great Deku tree really want him to go outside of the forest? But wouldn't that mean his death, since any Kokiri would die if they left their forest. There was something fishy about this, but at the moment, Link couldn't really figure out what. “Navi..." he whimpered as he stood that the tunnel.

 

“Come on Link, let’s go!" the fairy said, bobbing in the air beside Link's head.

 

“But Navi, the Kokiri can't leave the forest!" he said, looking up at his fairy partner. “I’ll die if I go out there." Terror was beginning to fill Link at the thought of leaving his safe home. Fighting some minor monsters in the talking tree was one thing, going to certain death was quite another.

 

“Link, we have to fulfill the Deku Tree's request," Navi said, understanding the boy's fear. But she had to do what her once leader said. "He knew what he was doing when he gave you this quest, I'm sure that you won't die when we leave the forest. Now let's go!" the last bit was said a bit forcefully, setting Link into motion as he stepped into the tunnel, still scared about all of this. On the other side was the bridge that connected the Kokiri Forest with the outside world. Link ran across, wanting to get this part over with as soon as possible.

 

“You’re leaving, aren’t you," Saria's voice asked behind him, stopping Link into a dead halt at hearing it. The blond turned around to face his best friend. The girl had a sad look on her face as she continued. “I knew that this day would come. You’re different from me and the rest."

 

“Saria...” Link said softly, walking closer to the green haired child. The strange feeling that something was wrong with this picture filled Link again. Saria knew something that he didn't, but what was it?

 

“But that's ok. We'll always be friends, won't we?" Saria asked looking up at her best friend. Something was clutched close to the girl's chest, her grip tightening on it a bit. Link just nodded, his throat a bit closed up from the feelings inside of him. Saria smiled before handing Link the object she was holding, which turned out to be a small green ocarina. “Good bye Link." Tears finally started running down the girls face as she pecked a quick kiss to the boy's cheek and turned to run back to the village.

 

"Bye Saria," Link said as he reached up to touch his cheek. He had a feeling this was the last he was going to see of his friend for a while. Finally, Link turned back toward the tunnel leading out into the world outside, taking a shuttering breath as he walked into it, still scared at what would happen when he walked out.

 

*********

 

Link had his eyes closed as he stepped out of the tunnel, just waiting to drop dead from being outside of the forest. After nothing happened for several minutes, he slowly opens his eyes, relieved that he was still living. He looked at his surroundings, noting that while he was out of the Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods, he was still at the edge of the woods that lead to a large field.

 

_'Maybe I'm still alive because I'm still in the trees,'_ he thought to himself as he slowly walked to the very edge, not really wanting to step out because he wasn't sure if he would live or not. Taking a deep breath, the 10 year old walked out of the tree line and out onto the grassy plains of Hyrule Field. He released his breath when he noted that yes, he was still living. The feeling was starting to creep up again; there was something wrong with this. He shouldn't be able to live outside of the forest since he was a Kokiri but here he was, standing in this large field alive and well. Link bit his lip as he thought that something was wrong with this.

 

"Hey, let's go to the castle!" Navi yelled into the young elf's ear, bringing him out of his thoughts.

 

"All right all right, no need to yell in my ear," he muttered as he rubbed his aching ear. He headed out over the field, wondering what adventures waited him now.

 

********

 

"I hate this," Link muttered as he huddled on the branch of a tree in the middle of Hyrule Field. “I’m hungry, I want something to drink, I'm cold, and I'm tired. Plus we got chased up this tree by those Skeletons." he rubbed his arms trying to warm himself up.

 

“Well you should have thought to bring something to eat and drink before we left," Navi commented from her perch from above Link. The boy glared up at the fairy, trying to burn her little body with the power of his stare.

 

“You should have said something! I've never been outside of the forest before, how was I supposed to know I’d need to pack a bunch of stuff," The young elf yelled, his teeth chattering a bit. "Plus you were pushing me to leave right then, so I didn't even get a chance to think about it." Navi had the good graces to blush. The boy was right, it was her job to make sure the young hero stayed alive but she had been more concerned about the mission giving to her by the Deku Tree.

 

"Well what about those Stalchildren? You let them chase you up here," She said, trying to make it seem that it wasn't all her fault.

 

“I don't know if you noticed but every time I killed one of those things, another one would pop up. I really don't want to stay up all night fighting those things. And sleeping on the ground is just asking for something bad to happen," Link deadpanned, looking at his partner in disbelief. “I don't want to talk about it anymore Navi." he said as he settled himself on his tree branch, slowly going to sleep.

 

********

 

As Link woke up, he noted several things different from when he went to sleep. For one he wasn't laying on a narrow tree branch, instead he was laying on something flat that was rocking side to side lightly and was moving if the passing trees were anything to go by. Blue eyes blinked in confusion as Link sat up, taking in his surroundings. He was sitting in some kind of cart that was filled with stuff, an elderly man sitting in the front.

 

“I see ye be awake child," the man said, not turning back to look at Link as he did.

 

“Uh, how...?" the young blond asked confused to how he gone from sleeping in the tree to where he was now.

 

"I came across ye tree early this morning. I tried to wake ye, but ye just continued to sleep so I just put ye in the back of me cart," The man explained, patting the seat next to him for Link to sit in. The Kokiri climbed up front looking up at the man. He had graying hair and a few wrinkles but otherwise he wasn't that old as of yet. He also had a scar running over one eye but there was no damage to the eye itself. “Tell me child, what were ye doing in that tree. What ye were even doing out in the field at night, there be dangerous things out here."

 

"I know," Link said softly as he watched the scenery go by, "I went up the tree to get away from some Skeletons. I didn't know about them till last night."

 

"Ye never be out of the forest before," The man put in. Link just nodded before what he said caught up with him.

 

"Wait, how did you know I'm from the forest?" he asked, looked up at the man.

 

"Ye wear the clothing of one of the forest children," The old man said nodding toward the green tunic the Kokiri was wearing.

 

“Oh," Link pulled lightly at the edge of his tunic before he remembered Navi, “Did you see a fairy in the tree too?"

 

“Ye mean that annoying ball of light?" the man grunted, turning around to reach into the back and pulled out a bottle. Inside was a miffed Navi who was glaring up at the man. “She wouldn't keep quite so I put ye fairy in this bottle," he handed it to Link who decided to keep Navi in the bottle until they were closer to the castle, “Ye can keep the bottle boy."

 

"Thank you," Link said as he set the bottle next to him. Inside Navi shook her fist and yelled at her charge but no sound came through the glass.

 

"So where are ye heading child?" The man asked as he flicked the reigns of the horse pulling the cart.

 

"To some castle, but I don't know where it is," Link said as he looked at the passing scenery again. He blushed as his stomach rumbled. The old man just laughed lightly, reaching behind him to pull out a small loaf of bread.

 

"Eat up child. Me wife made that just yesterday so it is still be good," he said as he handed the blond child the bread. Link smiled gratefully before hungrily ripping into it, making sure to leave a small piece behind for Navi. “And ye be lucky child. I be heading to Hyrule Castle Town and it be the only castle around in these parts."

 

“Does it have a princess in it?" Link asked, hoping that was where he would find the girl the Great Deku Tree told him to find so he could get this quest over with and go back to the forest.

 

"Aye child."

 

********

 

Edit 7-15-14: Mostly just a few spelling mistakes and a few grammar mistakes fixed.


	2. Chapter 2

A Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time belong to Nintendo and the guy who made these characters, I'm just borrowing them for the time being.

 

Author Note 10-16-14: SageofSlashes has gone behind me and fixed up more grammar and spelling mistakes that I missed.

 

Chapter 2

 

 

“I can't believe you left me in that horrid bottle," Navi muttered as she fluttered next to Link's head as the child looked around Hyrule Castle Town with a look of awe on his face. He and the old man had gone their separate ways as soon as they got to the main square. The Kokiri had never seen anything like the city having been raised in a very simple forest village. It was also he noted, very noisy which was starting to give him a minor headache not being use to it.

 

“So where's this castle?" Link asked, still looking at all the people in the square. He wanted to explore this place before having to get back on task a bit. Who knows if he would ever be coming back here.

 

“I think it's that big white building in the distance there," Navi said, not really sure herself. " But let’s check around to make sure first." The fairy had caught the look of longing the 10 year old was giving as he looked around and decided to let her charge have a free run around a bit. Link flashed Navi a grin before he dashed off. The ball of blue light gave off a squeak of surprise before she chased off after the other.

 

Link spotted a red headed girl about his age standing in the middle of the square. The girl just stood there; seeming to hum a song as she looked toward the castle looking like she was waiting on something. The blond walked up behind the girl, reaching up to lightly touch her shoulder.

 

“Erm? Oh!" Dark blue eyes widen as she took in the boy standing before her. Violet blue eyes looked back with curiosity as Link tilted his head to the side.

 

“What are you doing?" Link asked, starting to wonder if children out of the forest were any different.

 

“Waiting," The girl started to circle other child. “Ooh! You're a fairy boy from the forest!" she said spotting Navi fluttering over his shoulder. She had heard only forest children traveled around with fairies.

 

"Umm, yes," he said as he watched the girl giggle and briefly stand on her toes. He was starting to think children out side of the forest weren't that different from the Kokiri.

 

“I’m Malon, my dad owns Lon Lon Ranch," she said with another giggle at the confused look on Link's face.

 

“What’s a ranch?" the blond asked, never having heard of such a thing.

 

“Oh, it's a big place with lots of horses," Malon held her arms out to the sides trying to show how big her home was. “We have cows too, Lon Lon Ranch is famous for its milk. And my dad likes to raise Cuccos. They’re a lot like chickens," she quickly added at the questioning look on the boy's face.

 

"Why are you standing out here?" Link asked looking up at the castle again.

 

“Oh, I'm just waiting here for my dad; he's delivering milk at the castle," The red head said, looking up at the castle longingly. “I wish I could live in the castle. Princess Zelda must have such a great life." Malon started to slip into a fantasy world, forgetting about the strange fairy boy she had just met. Link raised an eyebrow at the strange girl before looking up at Navi and shrugging his shoulders. He stood there for another moment or two, waiting to see if the girl would say anything else but Malon seemed to be totally into her fantasy. So with another shrug in Navi's direction, the boy turned and left the other child behind to continue exploring the beautiful city.

 

No less than 10 minutes later, Link was standing a few feet away from one of the many stands in the square, eyeing what the woman behind it was selling. Unlike most of the other selling stands scattered around, this one wasn't crowed by a big group of people. In fact most of the costumers were children and teens buying the woman's chocolate filled sweet cakes.

 

“‘Ello there," the woman said with a smile as she spotted Link who was still eyeing the, to him, strange looking treats. “Would you like a sweet cake? They are only 5 rupees each." The boy inched closer to the stand, the cakes sweet scent wafting up his nose. His stomach growled in response, having had nothing but the piece of bread from earlier than morning. Blushing, Link reached into his money pouch drawing out a small sapphire stone that served as currency in Hyrule. The woman gave another pleasant smile as she handed Link the cake and took the rupee. Link gave a small smile back before rushing off with his cake to find a place to sit and enjoy it.

 

******

 

"So Navi, just how am I going into the castle?" Link asked as he licks off the chocolate off his fingers. The sweet cake was a real treat for the boy and he wondered if he should get another when he left the city for Saria. He had many things to tell his best friend about the world outside of the forest.

 

"Walk up to the front door and ask to see the princess?" Navi suggested from her spot next to Link where she was also licking off the bit of chocolate from her own hand since Link was nice enough to give his partner a bit of his sweet cake. Since she wasn't flying around, her blue light had died down enough to be able to fully see her. She was wearing a little dress that seemed to be made out of leaves and her long blue hair was pulled up in a high pony tail. Every now and then her wings would flutter behind her. “And if that doesn't work, sneak in."

 

"Sneak in?" Link asked, looking down at the fairy besides him. The very thought made an uneasy feeling settle into the boy stomach. He had grown up in a very open community, it wasn't unusual for one Kokiri to just enter another's house and there was no reason to sneak in anywhere. “I.. I don't think that's such a good idea Navi."

 

“We really don't have a choice," the fairy said as she leaned back on her hands. “We have to see Princess Zelda anyway we can." Link frowned as he looked up at the almost church like building in front of him and his fairy partner. He still didn't like the idea at all. The uneasy feeling wouldn't go away, but Navi was right, he had to complete the Great Deku Tree's last request.

 

“I still don't like it," he muttered as he stood from the ground, brushing the dust off his green tunic. Navi sighed as she flew up off the ground as well, her blue light surrounding her again. The elf and fairy headed back to the square, finally time to tackle the castle. The Kokiri looked up at the castle, the uneasy feeling not disappearing. Not only did he have an uneasy feeling, but the boy was scared even. He never had to sneak in anywhere and he really didn't want to start either. Who knew what would happen if they were caught. He shook himself out of his thoughts then steeled himself for this next adventure. “I hope I don't regret this."

 

“Cheer up, maybe they'll just let us and you won't have to sneak in," Navi commented, trying to cheer up her charge.

 

*******

 

“Well that didn't work," Link muttered as he looked around the corner of the earth wall that surrounded either side of the road that lead up to the castle. Hyrule Castle itself was beautiful, and when Link had gotten his first good look at it he had once again been in awe. The feeling had temporarily overpowered the uneasy feeling. There was a gate right in the middle of the road with a single guard in front of it. The Kokiri had asked if he could see Princess Zelda, but the guard just laughed good naturally and turned the child away. So now here Link was, being forced to sneak into the castle.

 

"I guess we have to sneak in now," Navi said from where she was hovering over the boy's shoulder.

 

"Just how are we going to do that? There are two high walls on either sides of us and that gate is the only way in," Link commented as he looked up at the fairy.

 

“Umm, well..." she looked around, at a loss of how to answer that. An idea popped into her head as she spotted a single vine climbing up the wall a few feet from the pair. “What about this? I think you can climb up it," The ball of blue light quickly flew over to where the vine was, Link following slowing after her. The young elf looked up at the vine with a doubtful look.

 

“You must be kidding," he deadpanned, turning his stare back to Navi. “I can't climb up that."

 

“Sure you can, you’re light enough," Navi assured Link with a little bounce in the air. “Come on, the sooner we sneak in, the sooner we can speak to the princess," She added, trying to get her charge moving. Link sighed but put his hand around the vine, giving it a tug to see if it stayed then slowly climbed up it, not fully trusting it. Once he reached up the top, Link gave a look around. The view was breath taking and if Link wasn't slightly shaking in fear from all of this, he would have enjoyed the view more. He quickly ran over to the top of the gate, climbing down the latter on the inside of the gate.

 

The boy slowly opened the door, peeking out to peer at the guard at the other side of the gate. His back was still turned from Link, facing outward. Link slipped out of the door, quickly sprinting up the road toward the castle. The young elf hissed as he saw two guards standing at a bend of the road. Link's heart beat rapidly as he looked around trying to figure out where to go next before the two guards spotted the boy and fairy.

 

Luckily the ground walls that boxed the path inclined to a hill here, allowing Link to climb on top of the hill to get past those two guards. So far the pair managed to get across the front grounds in front of the castle without being spotted, managing to get pretty close to the large palace. But their luck didn't hold out as one of the guards in front of the second gate right in front of the draw bridge stopped the young boy and the ball of light.

 

"Hey you! Stop!" This caught the attention of a handful of other guards. Link froze, not knowing what to do now. He tried to bolt back the way he came, one of the guard’s catching the scared boy by the arm. Pain shoot through his arm as it was twisted behind his back.

 

"Well what do we have here, a little thief trying to steal from the castle?" A deep voice guard asked as he leered down at the captured boy. Link whimpered, trying to get his arm lose from the hold the guard on him. Real fear was starting build up in him as the guard kept a firm hold on the Kokiri's arm.

 

"Throw him in the dungeons of course, that's where all thieves belong," The man holding onto Link said.

 

"I'm not a thief," Link said, trying harder to get out of the hold. He twisted to where his arm wasn't behind him, tears starting to trail down his pale cheeks. Navi was fluttering up in the man's face, also trying to get Link free. The man swatted the fairy away.

 

"Quiet boy," another guard growled, hitting Link across the face. “I say we have fun with him first," He gave a lustful sneer as he grabbed Link's face. “He has such a pretty face." Two of the other guards shared a sneer as well. Link's violet blue eyes widen, not liking the sound of that. He bit down on the hand on his face then kicked the guard holding on to him hard in the shin.

 

"ARGE! The little fuck kicked me," The second man yelled, lunching to grab onto Link again, but the boy dodged and ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he ran away. The guards yelled, starting to throw their spears in an attempt to stop the scared 10 year old. One of the spears managed to nick Link's leg. He gave a whimper of pain but continued to run. A couple of the guards chased after him, trying to catch the boy.

 

“Somebody help," Link whimpered, truly and fully scared out of his mind. Behind him the guards continued yelling as he ran.

 

***********

 

Not too far away, laying in on one of the many white castle walls basking in the sun was a red headed man in his mid 20's. His hair was crimson red, almost to his shoulders, and skin was beautifully tanned, as it should be for the desert king Ganondorf Dragmire. The master thief pillowed his head on one arm while the other arm rested on his bare stomach. There was nothing better the red head like to do than rest in the sun, when he wasn't in a fight or stealing that was. He had to find a way to relax since he was still waiting to talk to the king of Hyrule, Ganondorf and his warriors had been at the castle for over a day already and the man still refused to see the desert king.

 

Golden eyes slid open as the sounds of yelling reached up to where he was laying, catching Ganondorf's attention.

 

“What in the name of Din..." he sat up, looking toward the front grounds. He noted that the guards seemed to be surrounding something. He lazily got to his feet before jumping from one wall to another till he was standing on the outer wall, looking down. The thief narrowed his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of what was in the middle of the guards, cursing when the thing turned out to be a young Hylain boy, at least he assumed it was but the fairy pointed more toward one of the forest children. “By the triad, does Hyrule's king let his guardsmen rape his land's children?" Ganondorf muttered as jumped to the ground.

 

Quickly and quietly, Ganondorf rushed to where the child was. He was impressed that the boy had been able to get away from the lustful guards, speaking much of untapped power. The sword and shield strapped to his back spoke that he could be a warrior, a great one at that. And Ganondorf could see all this, you learn to spot the signs after growing up in a desert tribe full of fighters.

 

"Somebody help," the boy whimpered, the red head's sharp ears just catching it. The boy leg was bleeding heavily after being sliced open by a random spear and a bruise starting to show on the upper right arm. Ganondorf took at as his queue to rush forward and grab the boy up just before another spear thrown by the idiot guards could hit the scared boy in the back. The small blond boy let out a scared whimper, afraid of what Ganondorf might do to him.

 

*****

 

Link had been close to the edge of the small drop that led down to the road, gasping as he was grabbed up into a pair of strong arms. The Kokiri was afraid that one of those men had caught him. He let out a whimper of fear, clutching shut blue eyes, Link waited for something bad to happen.

 

“Lord Dragmire, thank you for capturing the thief," The guard that had first grabbed Link said with false politeness. Mistrust underlined the man's words since no one trusted one of the Gerudo much less their king.

 

“You fools," Ganondorf's hold on Link tightened slightly as he snarled at the small group of guards. "Is this how you treat children here?" Link opened his eyes at these words, seeming to start to understand that maybe this man holding him didn't mean to harm him. He looked up at Ganondorf taking in his tan skin, crimson red hair and golden eyes. What shocked the small elf was that the man's ears were round instead of slender and pointed.

 

 _'What race is he of I wonder,'_ Link thought to himself as he lightly grab the front of the Ganondorf's open vest. Navi rushed toward, settling on top of her charges hat, glaring at the castle guards.

 

"He is a thief, we were only doing what we thought was best," The same guard as before said. The other three nodded in agreement.

 

“‘What we thought was best,'" Ganondorf mocked with a sneer. "I won't allow to you have this child. Go find something else to take your sick fantasies out on." then he walked off toward Hyrule Castle Town, Link still clutched in his arms.

 

"Damn thieves.." The deep voice guards said glaring at the Gerudo’s back. The tanned man stiffed, turning back to return the glare at the man that had spoken.

 

“I may be a thief but I have sense, self honor and even high respect for children. Even Gerudos know right from wrong, unlike Hyrulians it seems. You four should be ashamed of yourselves for even thinking of doing something as vile as rape to anyone."

 

"I'm sure your kind does it all the time," The guard that seemed to be the leader of this group said, the other three nodded their agreement.

 

"Don't drag my people down to your level," Ganondorf said with a sneer. Link watched the exchange between his savior and the scary guards, still grasping at Ganondorf's vest. His leg was really starting to ache as the blood continued to seep from the deep cut. “Have no doubt that you king will hear about how his people are," Ganondorf added as he continued his way to the town below the castle. Two of the guards snarled as they lunged to attack the desert king and take Link back from him. But they had to halt in their attack since there were three Gerudo female guards holding their weapons at their throats.

 

*******

 

Ganondorf stepped into the square of Hyrule Castle Town, ignoring the stares the people that were still there were giving the Gerudo upon seeing him carry a 10 year old boy in his arms. Many of them noted the tear steaks on Link's cheeks, the bruise that was really beginning to show on his arm and the bloody gash on his leg. Many of the elfish people thought the Gerudo king was responsible for the Kokiri's state, while others guessed that the guards up at the castle were the culprits knowing how their King's men were at times.

 

Link looked up at the strange man that saved him, wondering again what race he came from. The boy had never seen skin that dark before, and the man's hair was a darker red that Mido’s or any of the other red headed Kokiri in the forest. The gold color eyes were strange to Link as well. Navi also studied Ganondorf, a bit wary unlike her charge. She realized that the red headed man that was caring the young elf in his arms toward the local inn hailed from the desert lands, which was where the two witches that cursed the Great Deku Tree was from.

 

"Excuse me," Ganondorf looked down at the boy in his arms, raising an eyebrow in question. A light blush stained Link’s cheeks but he really wanted to know who the man was that was carrying him around. "Who are you?" The Gerudo king chuckled a bit, shifting Link in his arms to where he could open the door to the inn.

 

"That can be saved for later," He said lowly before looking up at the elf maid behind the counter. "I need one of your rooms for now," he said, not telling her why he needed a room. The girl, not wanting to make the well known king of thieves mad, quickly let out a 'yes sir' as she hurriedly handed him a room key. As he passed the counter on his way back to the rooms, a couple of ruby rupees appeared on the wooden surface, paying for not only the room but for a meal later.

 

Ganondorf managed to unlock and open the door with one hand, stepping in and kicking the door closed behind him. He placed Link on the bed and filled the bowl on the dresser with water before wetting the rag that was sitting next to the bowl. Then he knelt down in front of Link, starting to clean the cut on his leg.

 

“I believe you asked me my name child," He said softly, causing Link to look up from his watching the grown man clean him up. The smaller blond nodded, wondering what he should think of this man. "It's Ganondorf," the desert king watched Link, waiting to see what reactions he would have to his name but the forest child just filed it away.

 

“I’m Link, and this is my fairy partner Navi!" the boy pointed happily toward Navi, who was watching the interactions between elfish boy and the Gerudo.

 

“Then I suppose your one of the forest children, the Kokiri,” Ganondorf said as he took out a curved dagger to cut part of the sheets off the bed into make shift bandages. He has his doubts that Link was really a Kokiri despite the fact that he wore Kokirish clothing and was in the company of a fairy. Even his people knew that the forest race was bound to the magic that seeped in the forest and to leave without the proper spells would mean certain death and the child before him had none of those spells on him from what Ganondorf’s magical senses could tell him. Meaning the child was a Hylian, not a Kokiri.

 

Link winced as the bandage around his leg was pulled a little too tightly. "Thank you for helping me," he said softly, looking down at his lap. Another light blush stained his cheeks; he wasn't used to this kind of attention, not even from Saria. Ganondorf made a somewhat pleased purring noise in the back of his throat, finishing tying off the bandage around Link’s leg. There was nothing he could do for the hand shape bruise on the child's arm, having never learned a healing spell in his study of magic, otherwise he would have healed the cut on the boy's leg.

 

"Stay here, I will get you a meal," Ganondorf said as he stood, heading to the door. Link's violet blue eyes watched the man walk out the door then turned to Navi with a small grin.

 

“I like him," he said with laugh. To him, Ganondorf was truly something neat, there was nothing like him in the forest and the small elf couldn't wait to tell Saria about him.

 

“I don't think you should trust him so easily," Navi said, flying up in front of Link's face. Link frowned at the fairy, not liking the tone of her voice.

 

"Why not, he saved me from those people at the castle, which by the way? It was your fault that happened, anyway," he said, glaring at Navi. The fairy made a miffed noise at the words.

 

"How was it my fault?!" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

"Because you told me to sneak in there. I didn't even _want_ to do it," the blond said, not letting up on his glare. He really didn't like Navi, she was becoming really bossy and naggy and Link really hoped that once they finished this adventure, he never had to see her again. Even if it made him an outcast again.

 

"We have to talk to the princess so it's not like we had any choice but to sneak in since the guards won't let us just walk in," Navi countered, flying closer to Link's face and pointed a small finger at his nose. “Which means we're going to have to go _back_."

 

 **"What!?!"** Link barked in surprise eyes wide. "I can't go back there; didn’t you see what happened last time we tried to get into that castle?" He pointed to the bandaged leg to stress his point.

 

"I repeat, we _have_ to talk to the princess," Navi stressed back, putting her hands on her hips. Before Link could continue to argue with Navi on this subject, the door opened again with Ganondorf holding a tray with a bowl full of stew.

 

"Here," The red head said, setting the tray in Link's lap, swatting Navi out of the way, the fairy making an outraged noise.

 

"What is it?" Link asked, looking questionably at the meat filled stew.

 

"Stew, it's good," Ganondorf said as he lounged himself on one of the chairs next to the table. "Have you never had something like that before?" The boy on the bed shook his head. The Kokiri diet was made of mostly nuts, berries, mushrooms, and veggies. Sometimes they would have meat – fish, rabbits or small birds, caught with snares set in the forest and Lost Woods. But Link had never seen anything like the meal in his lap, nor had he been giving so much meat in one sitting. He took the spoon; bring a bit of stew to his mouth tasting it.

 

Link's eyes lit up before he started to dig in with vigor. The stew was strange to him but it wasn't bad. But he was careful to avoid most of the meat; it didn't taste the same as his usual meat.

 

"What are you?" he asked after a few minutes, tilting his head to the side as he looked at Ganondorf. The Gerudo gave an amused smirk, he was starting to like the blond and he was starting to wonder if he should bring the boy back with him to the desert. Link was a refreshing change from the girls in the tribe plus the Kokiri had the potential to be a great warrior. Ganondorf thought he might just fit in with the band of thieves with the right teaching.

 

"A Gerudo," he answered, still greatly amused by the curiosity that showed in the other's eyes. Link hummed lightly going back to his stew. Ganondorf leaned forward, watching the blond closely. Link looked up, blinking blue eyes at the tanned man.

 

"What?" the elf asked confused. Ganondorf shook his head lightly getting up from the chair.

 

"Nothing," he said, stretching lazily. Link continued to look confused, looking a bit like a lost kitten. Ganondorf couldn’t help but laugh lightly and kiss the boy lightly on the forehead. "You’re too cute. This room is yours to use till tomorrow kitten." Link gave a surprised look, not sure what to make of man's actions, or the nickname either. But it was a lot better than say, 'Mr. No Fairy'.

 

"Um, thanks," he said, still a bit out of it. Ganondorf gave a chuckle and headed toward the door.

 

"Oh, and kitten?" Link looked up toward the Gerudo, a renewed questioning look in his eyes. “If you plan on sneaking into places, it's better to do it at night." Then the thief king left out the door, leaving behind a shocked Navi and musing Link.

 

 

**********

 

Edit 7-15-14: Several grammar and spelling mistakes fixed here.


	3. Chapter 3

A Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time belong to Nintendo and the guy who made these characters, I'm just borrowing them for the time being.

 

Notes: Please remember when you’re reading this chapter that this is a AU fic. This is really where it begins to change from the original story line.

 

Author note 10-17-14: Thanks to SageofSlashes from AO3 who’s going behind me to further fix my horrible grammar that I missed.

 

Chapter 3

 

 _'Ganondorf was right,'_ Link thought to himself as he tiredly sat up against one of the Lon Lon Ranch milk crate sitting outside one of the doors that led into the castle. Navi sat on his knee, just as tired as her charge, but neither could fall asleep thanks to the loud snores that were coming from Talon, the owner of Lon Lon ranch and father to Malon. _'It is much easier to sneak into places at night.'_

 

The Kokiri and fairy had left the inn around dusk, getting ready to once again to sneak into the castle, as much as Link didn't want to. Memories of what happened last time with the guards still ringed in his head and the blond had a feeling he was going to have nightmares of what happen for some nights to come. Once the pair had reached the walled path that led up to the castle, they had met up with the red head from earlier, Malon, who was standing there looking up the castle with a worried look. She had told them that she was _still_ waiting on her father and had asked Link if he could look from him once she learned he was going up to the castle. In payment, she had given the boy a Cucco egg. Link still wasn't sure what he was going to do with the egg.

 

Afterward, Link had once again climbed up the vine from before, this time keeping wary blue eyes on the lookout for the guards. But to the boy's surprise and delight, not only were the guards from before gone, the ones that were there were either asleep on their feet or couldn't see Link sneak across the grounds. Navi had hid herself inside the Kokiri's hat to keep her light from attracting the attention of the few guards that were still awake. After climbing up a small wall, Link was forced to swim in a moat full of _very_ cold water to avoid being seen by the last two guards, who unlike the others that were standing around, these two were very alert and very awake.

 

Which led to where the blond was now, slightly shivering as the wind blew since his tunic was still wet, having to listen to Talon snore and not able to get to sleep himself because of all this.

 

"Oh wake up you big brute!" Navi yelled in Talon's ear, trying to wake up the Hylian. "Geez, he's harder to wake that you," the fairy said as she kicked the chubby man in the cheek. Talon snorted, reaching up to scratch at the spot, knocking Navi out of the way in the process, before resuming his snoring. Navi huffed, stomping her foot in mid-air in anger before flying over to where Link sat. The boy gave a tired amused smile as he watched before yawing again. And as he listened to the muttering fairy, he somehow fell into a fitful sleep.

 

********

 

Link jerk awake at the sound of a rooster crowing in his slender ears. The boy slapped his hands over his ears to stop the ringing before looking around for what caused the noise. Blue eyes widened as he looked down at the young Cucco sitting in the remains of the egg Malon had given him, looking quite proud of himself at having wakened his owner.

 

"By Din, that thing is loud," Navi said her own hands over her tiny ears. Her high pitched voice drew the attention of the Cucco, a glint appearing in his eyes as he thought 'breakfast!' The fairy eeped and started to fly around in circles with the bird following her, clucking all the way. "Ahhhh! Link save me!!!"

 

Link started laughing lightly, highly amused by the sight. He wished the bird would catch the annoying fairy and eat her, but he knew he couldn't let that happen.... yet.

 

"Alright," he said, still chuckling as he picked up the Cucco. The bird clucked in annoyance at being denied his breakfast before deciding that cuddling up against his owner was much better at the moment. Navi panted as she dropped to the ground, glad that was over with.

 

"I hate birds," she muttered as she got her breath back. The fairy threw an arm over her eyes, not quite ready to get up yet. Link smirked down at his partner, petting his Cucco lightly on the head. But he had to agree with one thing the other had said, the Cucco had be pretty loud, enough to wake him right away. His eyes lit up as an idea popped into his head as he turned to look at the _still_ snoring Talon. If the Cucco could wake up Link, who was known to be a pretty heavy sleeper at times, maybe he could wake up the snoozing man. With that in mind, the Kokiri crept closer to Talon, holding out the young Cucco toward him. Seeming to pick up on his owner’s thoughts, the Cucco let out another loud crow, looking miffed when the man didn't even stir. Taking a deep breath, he let out another, this one loud enough to wake the dead.

 

“What in tarnation?!?" Talon yelled as he jumped up in surprise, stumbling a bit as he did. In Link's hands, the Cucco looked proud at having woken the heavy sleeping man. "Can't a person get any sleep around here?" Talon said with a yawn as he stretched his arms over his head.

 

“Excuse me?" Link said softly, trying to get the man's attention. Talon looked down at the ten year old and let off a gentle smile.

 

"Well now. Who might you be?" the rancher asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

"Are you Talon?" Link asked, avoiding telling the man his name.

 

"Yep, that's me. Talon, owner of Lon Lon Ranch," Talon said pointing his thumb at himself proudly, not noticing at all that Link didn't give him his own name.

 

"Did you know Malon is looking for you?" The Kokiri asked as he placed the Cucco on the ground. As soon as Navi noticed the bird was on the ground again, she gave a squeak as she shot up in the air to avoid the beak descending on her.

 

"What?!" Talon turned, starting to run toward the city. "I can't believe ah left her alone all night, she’s gonna be really mad at me!" As such, not only did Link, Navi and the Cucco get treated to the sight of a chubby man running like the hounds of hell were on his heels, but so were the guards.

 

"Well that was strange," Link said, watching as the dust trail from Talon settled down. "Now what?" he asked as he looked up at Navi.

 

"Look for the princess of course," She said, still making sure to stay away from the Cucco, who was sitting at Link's feet looking up at the fairy with hunger. Her partner sighed before looking around for a way into the castle. Spotting a door not far away that he hadn’t seen in the dark of night, Link ran to it, reaching up to tug at the knob, but the door refused to open.

 

"It's locked." The boy stated after a moment, finally giving up on getting the door to open. Navi 'hummed' as she looked around for another way in. Not far away from where the milk crates were, on the other side of the moat, was an opening in the wall where a small waterfall fell over a small ledge. The fairy flew over to the opening and went through it to see where the other end was. Seconds later, the blue ball of light shot out of the hole, flying over to Link, who was leaning against the locked door.

 

"That opening over there leads into the castle!" Navi said excitedly, bouncing in the air. Link looked over at the opening she was talking about then looked down at the freezing water below.

 

"I don't think I can get over this by jumping," he deadpanned after a moment. Navi huffed before flying over to the crates.

 

"Then push these over into the moat then jump off them," she said, hovering over the object.

 

"You’re kidding right?"

 

***********

 

"Did you hear about what happen yesterday?" Link froze; blue eyes darted around for the person speaking. He peered through the hedge in front of him, spotting the pair of guards on the other side. The boy stayed still, wondering how he was going to get around these two. So far he had been able to dart past the number of guards patrolling the grounds inside the castle. Navi's crazy idea of jumping into the ledge where the small tunnel was from the crates had worked, though he had missed the first couple of times, falling into the moat. Then he was almost too big to fit into the tunnel, but he how had manage to get through the opening. Following behind him was Cluck, the Cucco, who just flew over to the ledge himself. Even now, the bird was behind him, making quiet clucking noises. And yet, somehow none of the guards had noticed the small bird. And luckily, they hadn't noticed the Kokiri or his fairy either.

 

“You mean about the kid?" On the other side of the hedge, the two guards continued to talk. The first guard nodded, leaning against his spear. “Yeah, poor guy. Mike and his lot are a bunch of brutes. Rox said the kid came up to the gate yesterday, and asked if he ‘Could please meet the princess’."

 

“I can't believe they would really try to rape a little kid like that," The first guard shook his head in disbelief his scowl making his disgust clear even with his face from the nose heavily obscured by the shadows cast by the helm on his head.

 

“I can," The second guard said. Anything else the two would have said was interrupted by the head of the guard.

 

“Back to work you two!" he barked, startling the two younger men.

 

“Yes sir!" they both saluted their superior before starting to walk around again to guard the area. Seeing his chance, Link darted forward from behind the bush and ran as quick as he could to the other end of the mini maze, to the inner court yard where a girl in pink was looking through a little window to the inside.

 

“I think that's her," Navi said from her spot over his shoulder. Link nodded, starting forward to finally speak with Princess Zelda. Link's eyes widened a bit, this was the girl from one of his two nightmares. Neither boy nor fairy noticed the shadowed female sitting on the wall above them.

 

*********

 

Link slowly walked up to the small raised dais where the girl was standing. The girl was so into whatever was going on the other side, she didn't once notice the Kokiri and fairy behind her until Link stepped up onto the stone steps. With a gasp, Zelda spun around, a hand flying up over her mouth as she did so.

 

"Who... who are you?" She asked, blinking very dark blue eyes at the site of the blond hair boy and the ball of light hovering above his shoulder. “And how did you get past the guards?"

 

“It wasn't easy," Navi said, deciding to answer for both her and her partner since it didn't seem Link was going to answer. Little did she know, Link was shivering slightly, an unsettled feeling washing over him as he stood near the princess. There was something wrong about her and it was weirding him out greatly. He was kicked out of his thoughts as Navi hit him lightly in the head.

 

“Is that... a fairy?" Zelda said, gazing up at Navi with excitement in her voice.

 

“Um, yes." The other child answered shifting under the girl's eerie gaze.

 

"Then you’re a child of the forest!" A squeal of excitement came from the girl as she clapped her hands. “Then that means you have the spiritual stone of the forest, you know that green and shining stone." Link reached into his pocket on his tunic, taking out the Kokiri emerald to show the other before sticking it back in the pocket. Zelda giggled again, holding her clasped hands to her mouth. “Then you are the one from my dream!"

 

"What dream?" Link asked, tilting his head a bit. Zelda got a mildly distressed expression on her face as she turned her back to them.

 

“I’ve been having dreams lately," She started, clasping her hands behind her back. "In the dream, dark storm clouds were billowing over the land of Hyrule... But suddenly, a ray of light shot out of the forest, parted the clouds and lit up the ground... The light turned into a figure, holding a green and shining stone, followed by a fairy... I knew it was a prophecy that someone would come from the forest... Yes, I thought you might be the one..." Zelda mused as she turned back to Link who looked he was only halfway listening. The princess was a little miffed by that but she didn't let it stop her, gasping and putting a hand to her mouth with an ashamed look on her face. “Oh, I sorry. I got carried away with my story and didn't even properly introduce myself!" She put her hand down. “I’m Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. What's your name?"

 

"... Link." the boy, who had been listening after all, said.

 

"Link... strange... it sounds somewhat... familiar..." Zelda mused, a faraway look in her eyes. She was quite for a few seconds before she shook herself out of her thoughts. “Ok then! I'm going to tell you the secret of the Sacred Realm that has been passed by the Royal Family of Hyrule. Please keep this a secret from everyone!" she suddenly grasped Link's arm, giving him her version of the puppy dog eyes.

 

"Ok! I won't!" Link rushed out, trying to shake the girl off his arm, a creepy feeling rushing up his spine as she touched him. Zelda didn't seem to notice Link's tone or actions as she let go.

 

"Ok, the legend goes like this....

 

 _The three goddesses hid the Triforce containing the power of the gods somewhere in Hyrule, the power to grant the wish of the one who holds the Triforce in his hands. If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity. If someone with an evil mind has their wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil... That is what has been told... So, the ancient sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce from evil ones.”_ The girl recited, seeming to be attempting to control her excitement at his agreeing.

 

"So... is this Temple of Time the entrance to the where the Triforce is?" Navi asked from her place hovering over Link's shoulder.

 

"Oh yes," Zelda agreed with a nod of her head. “The temple is the entrance of which you can enter the Sacred Realm. But it's sealed by a large stone wall called the Door of Time. The only way to open this door is to use all three Spiritual Stones and a treasure that has been kept by the Royal Family along with the legend, the Ocarina of Time!"

 

"What were you doing when we came up?" Link finally spoke up after being quiet so long, he was curious why the girl had been looking through that little window and what had held the princess's attention to the point that she hadn't heard them until Link was upon her. He rubbed where the girl had touched him, trying to chase away the odd feeling that lingered where their skin had met.

 

"Oh! I guess I forgot to tell you. The other element from my dream, the dark clouds? I believe that the symbolize-" Zelda suddenly turned and pointed toward the little window that looked inside the throne room, " that man!" Since her back was turned, the girl didn't see the weird look Link was giving her. He wiped it off quickly as Zelda turned back, a pleading look on her face. "Will you look through the window?"

 

"Oh.... ok," Link agreed, stepping over to the window with Navi floating behind him. He leaned over slightly and looked inside. The room on the other side was large, with a large throne sitting at one edge with a large blond Hylain man sitting on it, a gold circlet on his head. The man looked a bit stern but still kind in a way. On either side of the king were a couple of guards, spears held up high. On the other end of the room, two large doors opened as two Gerudo guards walked in, splitting to either side and standing next to them. Following the girls was a figure Link recognized right away.

 

 _'Ganondorf!'_ he thought, his blue eyes widening. The bandit king was now dressed in light armor, his crimson red hair falling into his eyes.

 

"See that man, the one with the evil eyes?" Zelda asked from behind Link as he watched Ganondorf knelt in front of the king, who sat upon on his throne within the room.

 

 _'Evil eyes?'_ Link thought to himself. He didn't agree -determination that was more the look in the man's eyes. He couldn’t see anything evil in them. Of course that was just the Kokiri’s opinion.

 

"That's Ganondorf, the leader of the Gerudo," Zelda continued, not noticing the look of disagreement on Link's face. "They hail from the desert far to the west. Though he swears allegiance to my father, I am sure he is not sincere. The dark clouds that covered Hyrule in my dream, they must symbolize that man!" As though he heard her, Ganondorf suddenly turned his head toward the window. Gold eyes pinned on Link's blue one, startling the boy and causing him to fall to the ground. "Did he see you?"

 

"Yeah," Link said as he stood from the ground, brushing the dirt off his tunic.

 

"Well don't worry, he doesn't know what we're planning, yet," Zelda said mysteriously, a small smirk on her face. A confused looked crossed Link's face, they had a plan? For what?

 

"Did you tell anyone about your visions?" Navi asked, flying a bit closer to Zelda. She was a bit confused herself, the princess was convinced that Ganondorf was evil, but yesterday the fairy had witnessed the man save her charge. But the Great Deku tree trusted the girl so she supposed she should too.

 

"Yes, I told my father about my dreams," Zelda said with a sigh, clasping her hands behind her back again. "But, he doesn't believe it was a prophecy. But, I can sense that man's evil intentions. What Ganondorf must be after is the Triforce itself!"

 

"Then he must have come to Hyrule to obtain it!" Navi exclaimed, seeing where Zelda was going with this.

 

"And I believe he will try to conquer Hyrule... no, the world!" Zelda said, slamming her fist into her hand to push her point. "Link, we are the only ones that can protect Hyrule. Please, will you help?" She pleaded with the other blond, hands clasped under her chin as she leaned in close. Link still wasn't convinced Ganondorf was evil, or that he was after the all mighty Triforce. And he had the very mind to tell the princess that, if Navi hadn't crashed into his head before he could say anything.

 

"Ok, we'll help," he said, though he didn't want to.

 

"Thank you," Zelda said with a grateful smile before it turned into a frown. “I... I am afraid. I have a feeling that man is going to destroy Hyrule. He has such terrifying power. But it's fortunate that you have come. We must not let Ganondorf get the Triforce! I will protect the Ocarina of Time with all my power! He shall not have it!" she vowed, a gleam in her eyes. "You go find the other two Spiritual Stones! Let's get the Triforce before Ganondorf does, and then defeat him!" Zelda said before getting out a piece of paper from her dress pockets to write a letter. “One more thing. Take this letter. I'm sure it will be helpful to you." She handed the letter to Link, who slipped it into the same pocket as the first spiritual stone.

 

"How are we going to get out of here?" Navi asked, seeing that the meeting with the princess was over. Zelda shrugged, waving a hand toward the opening to the small courtyard.

 

"I guess you'll have to go the same way you came in," she said, not having another way for them to go. So Link quickly walked toward the archway, wanting to get as far away from Zelda as he could to stop the creepy feeling he got around her. His Cucco clucked, following behind him, Navi doing so as well, making sure to keep out of the reach of Cluck.

 

***********

 

"Well that was helpful." Link deadpanned once they were out of earshot of the princess.

 

"A lot more than you know Link," Navi said, not liking the tone her charge was taking. "We now know what that man is up to!" The Kokiri glared at the fairy.

 

"I don't believe Ganondorf is evil. Just because that girl said so doesn't mean it's true," Link said as he peeked around the wall looking for the guards. "Plus she's just creepy, like something's wrong with her."

 

"You must be joking. Just because the man just happen to 'save' your life," Navi started, not believing her tiny pointed ears.

 

"Look, we can fight about this later, right now we need to get back _out_ of this place," The boy said, cutting off whatever the bug was going to say.

 

"Maybe I can help with that!" a woman's voice said behind the both of them, a **thump** of something hitting the ground sounding. Link quickly spun around, facing a Gerudo woman. She was dressed different from two female guards in the throne room, but didn't look any less capable. "You know that something bad could happen to ya if these idiot Hylian guards catch you a second time?"

 

"I can guess," the boy deadpanned, and he could all too well. After all, those guards from yesterday would be out for revenge for being one upped like that. And it was easier to take anger out on a 10-year-old boy that it was on the desert king.

 

"Well, since Ganny seems to like you so much, I'll help you out," the woman said, grabbing up Link, who manage to grab his bird in time for it not to be left behind, before jumping to the higher walls of the castle. Just in time too, since a pair of guards rounded the corner at that moment. The female thief jumped and leaped out of the castle yards and into the town below, still keeping out of sight of others by staying at the rooftops till she and her passenger reached the outer wall of Hyrule Castle Town. She landed softly in front for the drawbridge, letting Link down.

 

"Hey! Wait… for… me!” Navi panted as she tiredly flew up. Both the woman and Link ignored her.

 

"Thanks, um...." The Kokiri realized the woman had never once told him her name.

 

"I'm Nabooru, second of command to Ganondorf," The thief said with a smirk. “So kid, gonna get those Spiritual Stones? That's a mighty great treasure to get."

 

"Um... well I guess so," Link didn't really know if he wanted to go after those other stones, but he had promised that creepy girl he would. And even if he didn't like her, the Kokiri was never one to go back on his word.

 

"Well I suggest you start there," Nabooru turned Link and pointed toward a mountain in the distance with a ring of smoke surrounding the top. "That's Death Mountain."

 

"Death Mountain!?!" Link interrupted, giving the woman a strange look.

 

"Yes Death Mountain. I didn't name it so don't look at me like that," Nabooru said, having Link look back at the strangely named rock. “There the race called the Gorons have the Spiritual Stones of Fire. And further that way," she pointed toward a river going toward another part of the mountain range. “Is Zora River, where the Zora's live and they have the Spiritual Stones of water."

 

"So I have to go see them for the stones?" Link asked, looking from one place to the other.

 

"Yep and one more thing. At the foot of the mountain is a little village called Kakariko. I suggest you stop there and rest up. You’re gonna need it," Nabooru suggested, walking back slowly from the child. "Well, good luck little warrior!" the red head said before leaping back to the top of the outer wall of Hyrule Castle Town and heading back the way she came.

 

"Well, we know where to go now." Navi said, finally having her breath back. "So let’s go!"

 

"No, I wanna go see Saria first," Link said, starting to walk toward the direction Kokiri Forest was in.

 

"What! We don't have time to go back to the forest, we're on a mission!" The fairy said, hurrying after the boy. But Link ignored her, continuing on his way.

 

********

 

Edit 7-16-14: Just more grammar and spelling mistakes fixed.


	4. Chapter 4

A Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time belong to Nintendo and the guy who made these characters, I'm just borrowing them for the time being.

 

Chapter 4

 

Link was starting to think maybe he should have gone ahead to Kakariko Village. Not because he needed to continue this quest he had been forced on, but because it was a lot later than he thought it was. There was no way he was going to make it to the forest before sunset and he really didn't want to sleep in a tree again. At least the town had somewhat been close to the castle, he could have made it there before night fall. The Kokiri came to a stop, looking around for a place to stay for the night. While he was hoping for a cave or even another tree at this point, his purple tinted blue eyes spotted a walled in area that wasn't that far away!

 

"Yes," he said quietly to himself. Cluck, who was safely tucked into the boy's tunic, clucked quietly, feathered head sticking out of the top. Navi was safely hiding in the stocking cap; the fairy had given up some time ago to make her charge change his mind about going back to the forest for a visit. This was the strange trio of travelers that came into Lon Lon ranch. A tune seemed to be drifting on wind along with the whiney of horses. Link slowly walked to the center of the ranch, letting Cluck out of his tunic as the Cucco wiggled, seeing others of his kind. The blond looked around, looking for the source of the tune that was drifting about, spotting a red headed figure in the middle of the fenced off area.

 

"Hey!" Link called out, running toward the figure. The figure, which turned out to be Malon, the girl from Hyrule Castle Town, stopping her light singing. Her dark blue eyes lit up as she recognized the forest boy.

 

"Oh, you’re the fairy boy from town! Thank you for getting my father. He was such in a hurry to get back to me this morning," Malon giggled lightly, holding a hand up to her mouth. "It was quite funny. Oh I have to introduce you to my friend! This is Epona." The red head turned to a filly that was standing just behind her, which Link noticed for the first time. The foal made a high pitch whiney noise before taking off, nearly knocking Link over in the process. "Oh, I'm sorry, she doesn't like other people very much. You should see what she does to Mr. Ingo," the red head started to giggle again. Link just smiled softly as the girl rambled on.

 

"What was that song you were singing?" He asked, remembering the tune that had drifted on the breeze when he first came in.

 

"Oh that was a song my mother wrote, it's called Epona's song," A small pang of sadness rang through Malon as she remembered her mother. “It seemed to float on the breeze the day Epona was born so we named her after the song. In fact she seems to like the song that shares her name very much!" Malon hummed a few bars to prove her point, Epona coming closer to where the two children stood but still keeping her distance. Link watched the cinnamon color filly, taking out his ocarina and played a few notes on it. Epona snorted a bit, pawing at the ground with her hoof but didn't come any closer, seeming to watch Link with her dark eyes. "Oh what a cute little ocarina! Won't you play my song with me?"

 

Malon batted her blue eyes, wanting to hear her mother's song on the little green instrument. "Alright." was the answer she got, waiting a bit before realizing Link didn't know the whole song. The red head quickly song out the notes a few times, smiling as sweet notes of the ocarina mixed in within after few minutes. Soon she stopped singing, listening to Link as the Kokiri played the tune, the boy never noticing that Malon had stopped nor that a certain filly was slowly trotting up behind him. Even Navi seemed to be entranced by the tune, half of her body sticking out of Link's stocking cap and head resting on her hand.

 

"Whoa!" Link startled as nose nudged him from behind, interrupting the flow of music. The small blond turned around, coming face to face with Epona as the small horse nudged him in the chest demanding to be petted.

 

"Oh how cute, Epona likes you now!" Malon clasped her hands together, giggling at the scene. Link smiled softly as he complied with the foal's wish, gently petting her nose.

 

"Malon! Time to come inside!" Talon called form the house, telling his daughter it was time to come in.

 

"Come on," Malon said, grabbing Link's hand and dragging the boy toward the ranch house. They passed the ranch hand Ingo who was heading toward the pasture to herd the horses and Cuccos into the barn. Talon looked down as his daughter came running up, a familiar blond right behind her.

 

"Well now, yer the boy from this morning, right?" The large belly man said with a laugh. "I gotta thank you fer waking me up. Malon here was really mad but after a while she forgave me." Malon just giggled, she knew that she had her father wrapped around her little finger. "Go and wash yet hands fer dinner Malon."

 

"Yes Dad," the red head said before running to do as told.

 

"So what are you doing out in the middle of Hyrule Field so close to sunset?" Talon asked, looking down once again at Link. “It’s dangerous out there."

 

"I know. I was wondering if... um..." Link looked down at his boots and blushed, a bit shy to up and ask if he could stay the night at the ranch. After all, Talon might think it was rude.

 

"We want to stay here for the night, since there is nowhere else we can go," Navi finally piped up, coming out of her hiding spot in Link's cap. While Link may have been too shy to ask this favor, she wasn't.

 

"Well I don't mind if you stay a spell," Talon said, leading the Kokiri inside. He had the boy wash his hands as well while having an extra space set up for the blond to eat. After a quick dinner of fried Cucco, a few veggies and a helping of milk, both Malon and Link were ushered to bed. A small cot was set up near the fire for Link that night. It didn't take long for the new hero to fall asleep, after all he had a busy day and not much sleep the night before.

 

**********

 

The next morning, after a quick breakfast of eggs and milk, Link left the ranch with Navi and Cluck in tow with a promise to Malon that he would come back some day. Then it was just a quick walk to the forest, fighting a couple of Pea Hats on the way. In fact, it was a little bit after noon when he finally stepped back into the cool shadows of the forest. He smiled slightly, quickly running for the hidden tunnel that lead to the Kokiri Forest and across the bridge.

 

"Look, Link's back!" One of the blond Kokiri girls squealed in excited excitement of seeing their missing number. This caught the attention of the other's many of them running to see Link.

 

"What is it like outside the forest?"

"I bet he didn't really go."

"Oh don't be silly of course he did, Link is the brave one unlike that bully Mido."

"Did you see the 'castle'?"

"What's that?" Link's eyes darted side to side as he was bombed with questions from his friends, grinning slightly at the last question.

 

"This is Cluck, he's a Cucco. A girl gave him to me," he said, taking his bird out of his tunic and placed it on the ground. The girls cooed at the Cucco, reaching down to softly pet the new wonder. Cluck puffed his small chest feathers out, not at all minding the attention, causing the girls to giggle.

 

"What's the children outside the forest like?" One off the boys asked, curious about the Cucco but not about to coo like the girls. Link shrugged his shoulders a bit.

 

"They seem like us somewhat. They like to play and such. But they have grown ups looking after them. Feeding and cooking for them."

 

"Wow, they don't catch their own food? Or cook it?" The girl with puffy pig tails asked, turning big blues eyes to Link. The young hero shook his head, the idea still a bit foreign to him as well. After all, as it was mentioned before, the Kokiri fished and trapped small animals for their meals and many of them had learned how to cook. The blond boy looked around, notice that there were a few missing. The 'Know-at-all' Brothers he wasn't surprised about, they rather keep themselves shut up in their little house than mingle with the others. And the shopkeeper of course, he rarely left his store. Mido he also wasn't surprised about, the red head most likely hoped he never come back. But the fact Saria wasn't there did surprise him.

 

"Where's Saria?" he asked, still looking around for the green hair girl.

 

"Oh! She left into the Lost Woods. Left a message too for when you came back!" One of the girls said, quickly standing, her fairy being knocked off his perch on his charges shoulder. "She said would meet you in the 'secret' place," She said with a nod.

 

"Oh, thank you. Watch Cluck will you? I think he will come in useful here at his new home," Link said, turning to the small cliffs that lead up to the Lost Woods. The woods where a place very few Kokiri would brave, and then they didn't go very far in, too scared of getting lost. In fact, himself, Saria and the Kokiri girl with the puffy pigtails were the only ones that braved the woods to go far in, but she never gotten as far as the Sacred Forest Meadow. A place in the forest that was his and Saria's secret spot.

 

"Link, are you sure you should be going in there?" Navi asked, bobbing slightly in the air as she stared into the larger part of the forest.

 

"Of course, all the Kokiri go in here at some point or another," Link said with a small laugh, stepping in like there was nothing wrong. He quickly darts here and there, using certain trees as markers to make his way. It took some minutes to get where he was going, only stop now and then to say hello to the skull children there. But in the end, the Kokiri made it to the meadow, his fairy looking around it in a bit of a shock.

 

"I knew that this place existed somewhere in the forest, but no one has been able to find it," Navi admitted, following Link in a daze as he walked further in, going to the stairs in the back.

 

"Well me and Saria did, this is our secret place," The boy said, quite proud of that fact. Navi doubted he knew what was so special about this one meadow, after all none of the forest children were told; the Great Deku tree had never seen a reason for it. After all, why would they need to know of the Forest Temple? The fairy was knocked out of her thoughts as the sweet notes of an ocarina reached her small ears. Link had led her to the courtyard of the temple while she was deep in her thoughts. She looked around, having been a long long time since she had last been here, to the point she hadn't remember where it had been with in the woods. It was nowhere near as grand as it had been all those years ago, with no one to take care of it, the forest had overtaken it, the steps that lead into the temple itself having crumbled to nothing. And honestly, the temple itself looked different as well. Navi wasn’t sure, but she didn’t quite remember the temple being made out of stone but her memories were a little foggy on this. And sitting on a tree stump next to where they use to be sat Saria herself, playing a lively tune on an ocarina like she had given Link while her guardian fairy Dits lightly danced in the air. In fact now that she thought about it, the tune had been faintly carried on the wind since they had entered the woods.

 

"Saria..." Link called softly, getting his best friends attention. The lively tune died off, the green hair girl opening her eyes as she looked up at the other.

 

"Link!" She said in delight, jumping up to give her friend a quick hug. Link just grinned happily, moving to sit beside Saria on the stump. "What did you see outside the forest?" Link launched into what he had seen the last two days. Everything to the sweet cakes, which reminded Link that he had forgotten to get one for the Elvin girl, to the guards of the castle and Ganondorf. Saria was out raged about the adult Elvin race that ended up attacking and hurting her friend, even more so when Link unwound the make shift bandages on his leg to show the scabbed over cut on there. Enough to send Dits to the nearby fairy fountain to bring back a healer fairy. “Ooo, this makes me so mad," Saria said, still fairly miffed about the wound on Link's leg.

 

"Well it was bad but Ganondorf saved me from worse damage, thank Farore," Link said, trying to ease the girl's rage. It worked a bit, though Saria still muttered under her breath that it shouldn't have happened in the first place.

 

"So was he really from the desert?" the forest girl asked, meaning Ganondorf, as Dits showed back up, followed but a reddish pink lighted healing fairy. The healing fairies were a bit bigger than the guardian ones and most tended to live in group at what was called a 'fairy fountain', which was in all sorts of places all over Hyrule. The fairy tutted as she looked over Link's leg before flying over it and using her magic to heal it up. When she was finish, a faint scar was all that was left on the boy's leg and she left with thanks ringing in her ears.

 

"Yes," Link said happily with a nod, describing the king's looks from the red hair and tanned skin to the strangely shaped ears. Saria soaked up the information, trying to imaging it in her mind. Then the blond went on to tell about the castle and Zelda, including his thoughts on her. And the fact Navi was convinced Ganondorf was evil despite the fact the man saved her charges life. Then he told of the Gerudo girl Nabooru and how she helped him out of the castle. Lastly he Saria told of Lon Lon Ranch, even playing the sweet tune Malon had taught him.

 

“I wonder what else is out there," Saria said with a sigh, resting her elbows on her legs before placing her chin in her hands. "You’re going to have to go back out, aren’t you? Will you tell me what else you see?" she added, turning her head to rest dark blue eyes on her best friend. Link nodded his head, agreeing to the simple request. Saria sighed again before leaning back on her hands, looking over the small meadow the pair had made their own. Navi and Dits was a few feet away, quietly talking to each other. “You know, there's something special about this meadow. I have a feeling it will be very important to us one day." Link looked at Saria for a moment before looking around himself. There was a certain amount of magic that surround their secret place, though sometimes Saria was more in tune to it than he was. Or maybe it was the ancient temple she was in tune with?

 

"Why do you say that?" he finally asked, turning his head to gaze at the Kokiri girl.

 

"It's just a feeling," Saria said before bouncing up and turning to face Link with a pleased grin on her face. “I finished my song!" she announced, taking out her ocarina and still grinning happily. “Play with me!" The lively tune that had been playing when Link and Navi had first come into the meadow started up again. The slightly deeper notes of Link's ocarina joined in after a few minutes, drawing in not only a few stray fairies but some Skull Children and Deku's as well, both of which stayed at the edge of the meadow, moving a bit to the beat.

 

After a bit, the music finally died off, both Kokiri laughing in delight as they both plopped down next to the stump, panting lightly.

 

"You got it!" Saria said, smiling happily. “When you’re out in the world, play that song to talk to me."

 

"Talk to you?" Link said, slightly confused. Saria just nodded her head.

 

"I put a bit of magic I learned from the Great Deku Tree into it. Play my song and we'll be able to talk to each other through it," she explained, looking up at the sky. "It's starting to get late, we should head back. You need some sleep before heading out again," the green hair Kokiri declared, grabbing Link's hand and running toward the stairs and to the Lost Woods, Navi and Dits rushing after them.

 

*************

 

The village of the Kokiri was filled with the sound of music and laughter of children as the child like race played in the warm summer night. Link and Saria lead the way in the music with their ocarinas while a flute, a fiddle and drums joined them. A feast of fish, fruit and nuts lined a table and the air was so festive that even a sulking Mido had come out of his home. There was no reason for the festivities, it had been a spur of the moment thing and each child there was enjoying it. Many also enjoyed Link's tales of the world outside of the forest, and those who lived there. At least an edited version of what Link told Saria anyway. Even Cluck the Cucco was enjoying himself, chasing after the fairies though they were smart enough to stay out of the bird’s reach. In the back of the young hero's mind, Link thought to try and bring more Cuccos to the forest. After all, the eggs could be healthy and good for the others to eat. But as nights and parties go, it was time for the Kokiri to draw it to a close and under the watchful eyes of their guardian fairies headed into their homes.

 

The next morning, Navi woke up Link early, wanting to get to Kakariko Village and more importantly, Death Mountain. Amazingly, it was quite easy for the fairy to wake her charge, Link had already been in a fitful sleep. What happened at the castle had finally crept into his dreams like he thought they would. So it was only a quick wash for Link in the hot springs on the outer edge of the village before grabbing up a prepared bag of supplies, his sword and shield, the Kokiri Emerald and the ocarina before he bolted for the hidden tunnel. Also a quick good-by and a promise to keep in contact with Saria.

 

A couple of hours afterward, Link was in the Hyrule Field, the forest some distance behind him. Navi flew on the breeze behind her charge as the boy walked toward the mountains in the distance keeping quite since it seemed the boy was doing what he was suppose to do.

 

 _'Maybe we can get through this without other detours,'_ she thought to herself, picking up the speed as Link pulled ahead.

 

*************

 

Kakariko Village was in a small canyon at the foot of the mountains. It was originally a Sheikah Village, built by the shadow elves that served the royal family to allow them to live near the castle while the other lived in a village deep in the woods where their closest neighbors were the Kikwis, the Parella and the Kokiri. In fact, these four races, along with the Deku, Skull Children, and Fairies, were the only ones that could get thought the dangerous woods without harm, since Hyila, who was the Sheikah’s goddess, was the favorite of Farore the Goddess of Courage who often lent her protection then all.

 

Kakariko had been a hidden village for years until after the war that raged in Hyrule for many years, when the current leader Impa, who use to be the personal guard of the queen of Hyrule, opened it for those people whose homes had been destroyed. Link looked up the set of stairs that led up to the hide-a-way village, licking his lips a bit before climbing up. It had taken all morning and a bit of the afternoon to make it this far with the Kokiri traveling constantly, stopping only once for lunch at mid-day.

 

“Finally, the next step in our quest," Navi said happily, thinking it would just be a straight line to Death Mountain and the Gorons and to the spiritual stone of Fire. How wrong she was, on many levels. As Link stepped pass the front gate of the village, smiling shyly at the guard at the gate but not getting to close since he was dressed like the guards at the castle. The guard just nodded his head and let Link on his way. Inside the village, Link looked around in awe. It was nowhere near as grand as Hyrule Castle Town but in a way, Kakariko was a lot nicer. More simple for sure and it made the blond Elvin child more comfortable since Kokiri Village was simple as well.

 

So far he could see a few houses scattered around with a few people milling about. An older man with a booming voice was standing under a single tree yelling out orders to four men that just ran about like Cuccos with their heads cut off. Speaking of Cuccos, there seemed to be a few stray birds just milling around, like the one at his feet.

 

"Hiiiyaaa!!" Link was knocked to his feet, both his body and the one that knocked into him rolling a few feet before coming to a stop. He had just about to pet the Cucco before he was attacked and now he was laying on his back, some of the wind knocked out of him and another person laying on top of him. The boy groaned, leaning up on his elbows to see just who tumbled into him. The other child, who was another boy who looked the same age as Link with blond hair that was a shade of pure gold, most of his bangs starting to fall over one eye. The boy was bracing himself on his arms over Link, legs slightly intertwined. It was about that time the other looked up and ruby red eyes met violet blue.

 

*******

Edit 7-16-14: A little bit more this time other than the usual spelling and grammar mistakes.

The reviewer Devkyu from AO3 pointed out that I was incorrectly calling Epona a colt, which is a baby boy horse and Epona is a girl. This has now been changed to the correct word filly or foal.

In later chapters I have more of a back story for the Forest Temple so more was added to Navi’s thoughts about the meadow and the temple.

Since there are now more races that live in the woods since the later games came out, I changed the part where it talks about the Sheikah village in the end here and the races that live nearby, taking out the made up races I wrote originally and replaced them with the races introduced in Skyward Sword.

Also, since we learn a little more about the Sheikah in Skyward Sword, I changed it from the made up Sheikah god to Hylia and changed that part a little bit to reflect what’s written in later chapters.


	5. Chapter 5

A Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time belong to Nintendo and the guy who made these characters, I'm just borrowing them for the time being.

 

Notes: Please remember when you’re reading this chapter that this is a AU fic. And yes there is a mention of the Minish from Minish Cap. Why? Cause they’re cute and apart of Hyrule X3.

 

Chapter 5

 

The two boys stared at each other in shock for several minutes, nether moving to get up until Navi cleared her throat. The red eye boy quickly scrabbled off the top of Link, bowing in front of the other boy with a red tinge on his cheeks.

 

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to crash into you," he said in a quick apology as Link got up from the ground and brushed the dirt off his tunic.

 

"It's alright," Link said, causing the other boy to look up at him through his gold bangs, searching the Kokiri's face before straightening up with a grin.

 

"I am Sheik," he said, starting to walk around Link, the other boy turning his head to watch the other blond. "Of the Sheikah. You are a Kokiri, correct?"

 

"Yes... what are you doing?" Link turned, facing Sheik again.

 

"I have never seen a Kokiri before," Sheik responded, seemingly entranced by Link.

 

"That's good and all, but we really have to be going." Navi said, getting annoyed that they wasn't going up Death Mountain. Sheik looked up at the fairy, annoyed at the blue ball of light.

 

"Is that your fairy?" He asked, looking back to Link. The slightly young boy nodded, not looking happy at all at that fact. "Go away bug, you're not welcome here at the moment."

 

"Well I never! We have something to be doing and it doesn't involve an annoying little child like you," Navi said, putting her hands on her hips.

 

"I said leave bug, or I will put you in a bottle!" Sheik yelled swinging at the out ranged fairy.

 

Alarmed, Link quickly grabbed the other boy's arm and pulled him back a bit.

 

"Whoa, calm down. Just ignore her, she'll shut up at some point," The Kokiri said, continuing to drag Sheik back from his fairy partner. Sheik glared at the fairy one final time before turning and walking off. Link, who was still holding onto Sheik arm, gave a surprised squawk as he dragged off with him. As soon as the two boys rounded the corner of the nearest building, Sheik wrapped an arm around Link's waist as he grabbed a Deku Nut out of the pouch on his belt before throwing it to the ground and teleporting the two of them to the roof of the house.

 

Blue eyes widened in shock as Link looked down at the ground from their perch, yelping in shock and surprise. Which was muffled since Sheik placed his free hand over Link's mouth, the other one still wrapped around the other blond’s waist.

 

"Shh... You do not want your bug to find us just yet do you?" he whispered into Link's Elvin ear, keeping a ruby color eye on Navi below who was flying around looking for the boys. The fairy stopped in mid-air, turning this way and that before letting out an annoyed noise and choosing a random direction to look for them. Link turned his head to look at Sheik when the other boy released his mouth, a confused pout on his face.

 

"Why did you do that?" he asked, managing to slip from Sheik's grip to sit a foot or so away form the young Sheikah.

 

"Surely you wanted to get away from her," Sheik responded, moving to sit cross-legged and facing Link. "She is one of the most annoying fairies I have ever met, I thought you might want to have a break. It's hard to play with someone with that annoying bug hovering above your shoulder at all times."

 

"True, but after years of not having a fairy partner I guess I'd just learned to quickly put up with her nagging," Link said with a shrug of his shoulders.

 

"What do you mean by 'years of not having a fairy partner'?" Sheik blinked his eyes as he questioned his new friend. "I have always heard a Kokiri always had a fairy guardian with them since the day their Deku Tree created them, I have never heard of one not getting one till years later." Link just shrugged his shoulders again, no one in his village could figure that out themselves.

 

But now he had one in the form of the nagging Navi so he wasn't about to complain... too much. "Well I guess it doesn't matter now. But are you sure you can't trade her in for a more agreeable guardian?"

 

"Oh, I'm sure." Link said with a laugh. Sheik sighed, he had quickly come to dislike his new friends partner, before standing and walking to the edge of the roof.

 

"I think your bug will be busy for a while," he said, looking around and not seeing any sign of Navi. " Come, I'll take you to my home." He waved Link over to join him before leaping from the roof and landing on the ground below on his feet like a cat, knees bent to lessen the impact.

 

Link followed, rolling into a tumble and nearly bowling over a group of mushrooms. A small being with a blue hat came out, shaking its fist at the boy. Link smiled sheepishly before quietly saying "Pi poa". The very small being huffed before turning and going back into its little house, tail lashing behind it.

 

"What in the name of Hylia was that?" Sheik asked, watching with wide red eyes.

 

"Oh, just a Minish. They're everywhere, that one wasn't happy I nearly knocked over its house," Link said as he got up off the group, brushing dirt off his tunic once again. "A group of forest Minish live in Kokiri forest with us."

 

Sheik frowned, casting a glance at the mushrooms again. "You said these... Minish... are everywhere. How come I have never seen one before now?"

 

"Maybe you just never paid attention, I know children like us usually are the only ones that can see them. Maybe someone else around here has," Link responded, not really concern about it.

 

"Maybe... well come on, my home is this way." Sheik grabbed Link's hand and lead the boy over to the large house on the far side of the small town. To the side of it was a pen where Cuccos usually were kept, though now it was empty and a red headed lass was standing next to it, looking worried as she pressed her hand up to her mouth. Sheik ignored the woman, dragging Link into the house itself, calling out as they made it inside. "Mother, I'm back!"

 

"Did you finish helping Anju?" A tall, slightly scary looking woman walked out from the back, holding a box. She was wearing a skin tight black and blue outfit, strange tattoo markings around her eyes and had very short sliver tinted hair. "Who is this?" She asked, rising an eyebrow at Link as she placed the box on the table and thinking the boy looking very familiar.

 

"Pnudran!" A boy who looked a couple of years younger than either Link or Sheik came tearing in after the woman, lunching himself at Sheik and knocking the blond to the floor.

 

"Kain! Get off, I can't breathe!" Sheik said, pushing the smaller boy off. The boy, Kain, had the same tinted silver hair as the woman and it came down a little past his shoulders. He was also wearing a pair of loose shorts and a semi large shirt that hung off one shoulder. He just laughed as Sheik pushed him off, dancing out of the older boy's reach and hid behind Link.

 

"Can't get me Pnudran!" Kain said, sticking out his tongue childishly. Sheik growled, more than ready to tackle the younger boy.

 

"Boys, stop this instant," Their mother said, taking Kain by the arm and dragging him out from behind his hiding spot. Then she glared down at Sheik, making him quickly get off the floor.

 

"Yes mother," they both said, looking at the floor.

 

"Now, introduce your friend Sheik," She said once her sons were properly cowed.

 

"His name is Link, I met him on the edge of town. He's a Kokiri!" Sheik said excitedly, looking up at his mother. The woman, Impa, frowned a bit, looking Link over. She doubted the third boy was truly a Kokiri even though he dressed as one.

 

"Then where is his fairy?" She asked instead, keeping from voicing her opinions.

 

"Oh, we ditched her. She an annoying little thing," Sheik said with a shrug, not thinking it as a big deal. Now Impa was sure Link as not one of the forest children. Thought there were cases of Kokiri leaving their forest for a short amount of time, with the proper protection spells cast upon them by their Deku Tree, they could not be separated from their Guardian Fairies. So that made the boy, Link, a Hylain. Though most likely not a pure one, his eyes had a purple tint to them meaning he may have some Sheikah blood in him. Of course that could also be a trick of the light.

 

"Tell me young one, what brings you to Kakariko Village," Impa asked, turning her full attention to Link.

 

"It's kind of a long story." Link said, not sure if he should tell his story or not. But he got a good feeling from these three, unlike what he had gotten with Zelda. So after Impa had lead all three boys to sit at the large table in the middle of the room, Link spilled his story to the Sheikah woman, Sheik and Kain looking at him with wide eyes. When he finally trailed off, he was looking at the table, slender ears drooped a bit as he waited for Impa to say something.

 

"That is quite a story young one," Impa said, leaned back in her seat, one arm wrapped around her waist while the other's elbow rested on top of it and tapped her chin absently.

 

"It was cool! So you’re like a hero!" Kain said excitedly, red eyes shining happily, leaning forward in his seat.

 

"Kain..." Impa said, making her younger son blush and sit back in his chair. Then she turned back to look at Link, watching him briefly before speaking again. “Do you plan to go up the mountain?"

 

"Well... yeah. Princess Zelda asked me to. I want to keep Hyrule safe," Link said, looking up again.

 

"You are a brave child Link," Impa said, garnet red eyes giving Link another look over. "Go and play with your friend Sheik." Sheik grinned, hopping up and grabbing Link's hand. The Kokiri gave a startled squeak as he was dragged out of his chair and out of the house by his new friend. "And finish helping Anju with her Cuccos!"

 

***************

 

"There you are, finally!" Both boys groaned as they heard Navi's voice from behind them. Link turned around, petting the Cucco he was holding to keep it clam unlike Sheik who was fighting just to keep a grip on his bird. "I've been looking for you for hours!"

 

"It's not my fault you lost me," Link said, turning from his fairy partner and walking over to the Cucco pen and gently placing the bird in before facing Navi again.

 

"You and that boy ran off on me! You've wasted enough time with this boy, Link," Navi said, glaring Sheik's way as he tossed his Cucco into the pen. "It's time to go up Death Mountain."

 

"What makes you think the guards are going to let him go up the mountain?" Sheik asked, coming up to Link's side.

 

"Princess Zelda gave us a letter to give to the guards that will let us through," Navi said smugly. Sheik shook his head, laughing. "What's so funny!?"

 

"Do you really think the guards are going to let a child in, no matter from what race, just because the princess says so?" Sheik said in-between giggles. "They'll say it's just a game and won't let you through."

 

"Yo-you're lying," Navi said, her light paling into a really pale blue as Sheik shook his head again.

 

"I've lived here all of my life bug, I think I know what the guards will do," Sheik said, grabbing Link's hand and meant to drag the other boy with him.

 

"Wait!" Anju ran up, stopping in front of the two 10 year olds. She smiled and handed Link a glass bottle." Thank you for your help," she said with a bow before going back to the Cucco pen.

 

"Um... thank you?" Link said confused as he looked down at the empty bottle before shrugging and placing it into his pockets. He frowned as he noticed that his pockets were getting full and soon he wouldn't be able to fit much else in them.

 

"What is the matter?" Sheik asked as he glanced back at his friend.

 

"My pockets are getting full and my bag is filled with food," Said Link as he sighed, there was nothing he could do about it.

 

****************

 

Impa frowned, she knew the boy needed to go up the mountain to speak to the leader of the Gorons. And as much as she hated putting a child in danger, she also knew that the boy was the only one that could defeat the dark times ahead. So, that mean she, Impa of the Sheikah, would have to help the boy on the quest and get Link up Death Mountain.

 

Impa looked up as the door opened, seeing her eldest son, Link and a small of light she assumed was Link's guardian fairy.

 

"Mother, tell this annoying bug that the princess's letter will not allow Link past the guards," Sheik said, glaring in Navi's direction.

 

"My son is correct; the Sheikah guards that watch the gate will not allow a child though because of a simple letter," Impa backed up what Sheik had been saying. "But I on the other hand can tell the guards to allow you both to pass." Link's eyes widened a bit in surprise before he smile a bit. He didn't really want to go into more danger but at least this would make it a bit easier.

 

"Thank you!" Link chipped, bowing at the waist. Impa chuckled lightly, her hand covering her mouth.

 

"Come" she said, placing a hand on Link's back to lead the Kokiri out. Sheik come running from the back, something clutched in his hands. He had slipped away as his mother spoke to Link.

 

*****************

 

"Let us pass," Impa said to the two guards by the gates. The guards, who knew better than to question an elder, did as she said the female of the pair tapping the butt of her bladed staff against the ground. Both still looked curious as to why she was taking a pair of children up the mountain, even if one was her own son.

 

"You are a brave child Link, your taking on something not even most adults would," Impa said as they rounded the bend and were out of sight of the gate. "But there is something else you need before you can continue your journey."

 

"What's that?" Link asked, looking up and blinking his purplish-blue eyes at the woman. Sheik gave a curious look as well.

 

"You need the song of the royal family to prove you are a massager. Zelda was foolish to have forgotten this fact," Impa said, stopping and turning to Link. "This song has been passed down many generations of the royal family, this is your right. Listen and learn 'Zelda's lullaby'." That said, Impa placed her index finger and thumb into her mouth and slowly whistled out the song for Link to learn. After going over it a couple of times, she gave Link an expected look as the small blond took out his forest ocarina and beautifully played the song back to her.

 

"Good. This is where I leave you Link, be careful as you climb up the mountain as there many dangerous spots," Impa said turning and starting back down the trail. "I expect you back by dinner Sheik"

 

"Yes mother!" Sometimes Sheik just loved his mother, she just gave him permission to follow Link up Death Mountain. "Oh Link, here," The Sheikah boy said as he ran to catch up with his friend. He handed the slightly smaller boy the bag he snatched from his room.

 

"Thanks," Link said, looking curious at the item he was handed. It was a bit on the side small, not much bigger than his pockets.

 

"It's can hold anything you put in it, it's magic!" Sheik said, quite proud. "It shrinks down whatever you place in it and it returns to normal size when you take it back out. It use to belong to my father."

 

"Oh... Sheik, if it was your dads should I even be taking it?" Link asked, tilting his head to the side. Sheik shrugged, spreading his hands.

 

"It was passed to me because I'm the oldest child but I want you to have it," he said, tugging at Link's belt. Link made a sound of protest, blushing heavily. "That way you don't have to worry about your pockets getting full," he added, unlacing the belt enough to put the bag on and redid the belt up. The small bag rested on Link's hip.

 

"Gee, that's nice of you," Navi said, Sheik glared up at the fairy.

 

"It's for Link, not for you," He said with a growl. Link laughed, grabbing Sheik's hand and started up the trail.

 

**********

 

"How far up this mountain do we have to go anyway?" Link asked, panting a bit as he leaned against a boulder. Most of the trail up the mountain was steep and the two boys had been attacked at least twice by Tektites.

 

"I think the Gorons live near the top." Sheik said, looking over the edge of the trail, seeing his village in the distance, then looking up at the top of the mountain. "I don't think we have that much more to go."

 

"If you’re so sure, why don't you just teleport all of us to the top," Navi suggested. She had forgotten about the special magic of the shadow elves earlier when he and Link disappeared, only to be reminded when several adult Sheikah had appeared in front of her later.

 

"I can't, a Sheikah needs to have been to a place before to be able to teleport to it. I've never even see the Goron Village much less visited," Sheik said, coping Link's actions and leaning against a slightly off color boulder. As the golden hair blond put his weight on it, the boulder started to shake and make deep groaning noises. Sheik yelped in surprise, leaping away and clutching onto Link who has also jumped up in surprise. The so-called boulder uncurled itself and stood, very large brown eyes looking down at the pair of boys.

 

"Oh. Sorry about that-goro," The Goron said in a deep voice, his big hands curled around his side.

 

"Wh-what is that?" Link asked softly, his violet colored eyes wide.

 

"That is a Goron," Sheik said in relief as he left go of Link.

 

 

********

 

Edit 7-20-14: Changed the made up ‘Malius’ name to Hylia. Otherwise it’s all the same just spelling and grammar that needed to be fixed.


	6. Chapter 6

A Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time belong to Nintendo and the guy who made these characters, I'm just borrowing them for the time being.

 

Chapter 6

 

"Wow, it's all one large cavern," Link said in awe as he looked around Goron's city. There were several caves entrances everywhere, a Goron coming out or going in here and there.

 

"So this is how the Goron's live," Sheik said as he too looked around. "I wonder where that stone you're looking for is."

 

"We could ask that Goron over there on that platform," Link said, pointing to the wooden platform being held up by three strong ropes and was suspended over the lower levels of the caverns.

 

"I guess I can us teleport us over there," Sheik said, turning around to look at Link only to see the boy wasn't there. Link was already crossing over the rope to the platform. "Link what are you doing?!?" Link stopped and turned around, balancing on the ropes easily and giving Sheik a curious look.

 

"I'm going to speak to the Goron over there," he said, pointing to the Goron on the platform before turning again and continuing his trek. Sheik bit his lip, gulping as he looked down over the edge to the lower levels of the platform.

 

 _'If he falls, he could kill himself!'_ Sheik thought in a panic as his red eyes snapped back to Link who was now on the platform and was speaking to the Goron. He watched as the Goron pointed to the lowest level of the cavern and as Link gave the creature a brilliant smile before doing a tightrope routine back over to Sheik. "Please don't do that again Link, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Link said with a blush as he saw the concerned look on Sheik's face. "I've walked tree limbs that are not much wider than that rope so it was easy."

 

"Alright I didn't mean to yell at you, I was just worried for you. If you had fallen...." Sheik shuttered slightly as he thought of what could have happen to his new friend. "Anyway, what did that Goron tell you? I saw him pointing to the lower levels."

 

"Oh, he said usually the spiritual stone of fire, or as he called it the Goron Ruby, is on that platform but their 'big brother' took it and is waiting in his room for the messenger of the Royal family," Link said, tilting his head a bit. "What does he mean by 'big brother'?"

 

"Goron's call each other 'brother' and the 'big brother' is the leader of them," Sheik said. "So do you want me to teleport us down to the bottom?"

 

"No, I think we should walk," Link said with a shake of his head. He wanted to see more of the Goron city.

 

******************

 

Sheik gave curious looks at the boy beside him; Link was humming a song under his breath as they passed one of the tunnels on the lower levels of the Goron City.

 

"What are you humming?" he finally asked, making Link stop and turned to give him a confused look.

 

"What?" He asked as he placed a hand on his hip while the other one hanged down beside his leg, it was a strange stance that Sheik noticed Link took up whenever he was speaking to someone.

 

"You were humming, what song was it?" Sheik asked again. Link blinked his eyes, a clueless look on his face; he hadn't even realized he was humming anything. He was about to answer the other boy, telling him he didn't know that he had been humming, but snapped his mouth shut and tilted his head to the side listing to something. "What is it?" Sheik questioned as he saw Link's actions.

 

"Shh," Link said, waving a hand in Sheik direction as he followed the faint sounds he heard.

 

"I hear music," Navi said, flying back the way they came to find the source. Sheik, curious, followed after, now faintly hearing the notes now too, which got louder as they neared a close by tunnel. He quickly realized it was the same song that Link had been humming.

 

Once the two Elvin boys and one fairy reached the tunnel, the notes of Saria’s Song surrounded them fully. The tunnel was dark, a large wall of cracked boulders in front of them surrounded by strange bomb looking flowers and a lone Goron curled up in front of the wall. He uncurled himself and stood up as the boys approached.

 

"Where does this tunnel lead?" Link asked the rock man.

 

"I don't know, but that tune that's playing is really catchy, very relaxing goro," the Goron said, snapping his fingers a bit to the beat. "Everyone in the city loves it, even Big Brother."

 

Link gazed at the boulders in front of him, a thoughtful look on his face. He grinned and snapped his fingers before turning to Sheik.

 

"I bet I know where the tunnel ends," He chirped happily.

 

"Where?" Sheik asked, curious as a cat.

 

"The Lost Woods, I pass by stone a archway every time I go to the Scared Meadow, I went in once but the tunnel inside was blocked off by a bunch of rocks," Link said, quite happy to have solve this mystery once and for all, wait until he told Saria where it ended.

 

"Well that makes sense, the music Saria always plays always seems to fill the woods, so it must travel down the tunnel too," Navi said, agreeing with Link. Link giggled as he realized Saria had a bunch of Goron groupies.

 

******************

 

"So, how do I open the door?" Link asked, pushing a bit at the large stone door, which had a strange symbol on it, but it wouldn't budge.

 

"Well there's no leavers or switches on this side of the door, so it must open from the inside," Sheik commented as he studied the door. "The Goron said that their 'Big Brother' was waiting for the messenger of the royal family, which is you, so you have to be able to get inside somehow."

 

"As much as I hate to say it, I don't think a grown Goron will think a child is the messenger just because they say so," Navi said from her place above Link's shoulder. "Hey! What about that song the Sheikah woman taught you? Didn't she say it proved that you’re the Royal Family Messenger?"

 

"But do you think it will reach him behind these thick walls," Sheik asked, finally giving up on finding a way into the room behind the door.

 

"We'll never know until we try," Link said as he dug thought his pockets and removed his light green ocarina. He softly blew into the instrument and played out the song, Zelda's Lullaby, which Impa had taught him. Almost as soon as the notes died away, there was a click and the stone door slid to the side with a grinding noise. Both blonds looked at each other before heading to the short tunnel to the room on the other side. Standing in the middle of the room was a very large Goron, much larger than the Gorons outside, who had a spiky rock 'hair' style.

 

The large Goron looked down at the pair of children in front of him, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.

 

"What's this? When I heard the song, I thought the messenger from the Royal Family of the Hylains had finally arrived, but all I seen is a Kokiri and a Sheikah child. Go away, I do not have time for children," the Goron said in a deep, angry voice. Link gulped slightly before stepping up slightly.

 

"I... I'm the messenger from the Royal Family," Link said, jumping back as the large Goron quickly turned toward him.

 

"What! Does the King, my Sworn Brother, see fit to mock me, Darunia the leader of the Gorons by sending a child?!" Darunia yelled, enraged by the very thought. Both Link and Sheik looked up at him with wide eyes, Link's back to Sheik's chest as the smaller blond backed up against the other. Even Navi had been shocked, flying back behind the two boys.

 

"Why... why are you so angry?" Link finally asked.

 

"Why! Someone had sealed Dodongo Cavern. My people are starving! There is a monster in the cavern as well. Why do you think I'm angry?!" Darunia raged, hitting his fist into the ground, causing it to shake. Link realized the large rock man needed to calm down and fast. The Kokiri boy quickly thought of a way to calm Darunia down, remembering that the Goron at the mouth of the tunnel that lead to the Lost Woods had claimed the music from there was very relaxing and that their 'big brother' enjoyed it as well.

 

Link quickly took out his ocarina and played Saria's Song. As he continued to play, Darunia stopped his raging and listened to the music. Suddenly a large grin crossed his face before be broke out into a dance.

 

"Yeah! Oh yeah! Yes! Yahooo!" Darunia yelled as he danced wildly, causing Link and Sheik to back up against the wall to avoid getting hit. After a moment or two of wildly swinging his arms around in a mockery of dancing, Darunia finally stopped a large smile on a face and his black eyes bright. "Ohhhh, I feel much better. Who are you again?" the Goron said, now much calmer since he danced out his anger.

 

"Oh, I'm Link. And this is Navi and Sheik," Link said, tucking away his ocarina and waving a hand in the direction of his two companions.

 

"Well then, what is it that you wanted Link," Darunia asked, large arms crossed over his chest again as he looked down at the two boys and fairy in front of him, once again looking tough and imposing.

 

"ummm.... I want the Spiritual Stone of Fire." Link said, a bit nervously. Darunia's eyes widened and outside of the Gorons leader room, several Gorons could hear their Big Brother yell

 

"WHAT!?!"

 

****************

 

"Alright, explain to me again how this is going to work?" Link asked, peering over the edge of cliff he and Sheik was standing on, hands wrapped around the small wooden fence on the edge.

 

"All you have to do is pick up that bomb flower there," Sheik pointed at the explosive plant no less than a couple of feet away "and throw it over the fence you’re leaning against. Hopefully, it will land by the boulder down there and blow it up. It's perfect." Link had doubts of that, reaching down to twist the new gold arm band wrapped around his left forearm. The trinket was a gift from Darunia after the Goron and the Kokiri had come to an agreement on the Spiritual Stone of Fire.

 

Darunia agreed to give up the Goron treasure, commonly known as the Goron Ruby, if Link could not only figured out how to reopen the cave that housed the Goron's choice of food, a special type of rock, but he was also to defeat the monster that was housed inside. Darunia advised Link that both the monster and the blockage of the cave was done by a pair of witches who had also requested the stone. When the Goron leader did not turn over the stone to the witches, they cursed Dodongo cave to starve the Gorons until Darunia gave up the Spiritual stone.

 

In the end, Link had to agree to the Goron leader request. After all, he couldn't let the poor Gorons starve, so he would be doing this even if it wasn't for the Goron Ruby. The Kokiri just wondered if he was going to have through a task like this for when he visited the Zora's and asked for their stone. It was become a common theme after all, Link had to break the curse inside the Great Deku Tree, though the tree still died anyway, and now he was going into a likely very dangerous cave.

 

 _'What in the name of Farore am I going to face when I go to retrieve the Spiritual Stone of Water?'_ Link wondered to himself as he picked up the bomb flower. He gulped as he saw that the bomb flower's top started to flare, quickly racing over to the edge of the cliff and lobbing the explosive plant over the edge. Navi quickly flew over the edge, looking down to watch it's decent.

 

"It landed right next to the boulder! Are you sure that one bomb flower is going to be enough to destroy it?" Navi asked, turning her small body to face the two boys still on the cliff.

 

**Ka-Boom!!**

 

Down below, the bomb flower reached the end of its fuse stalk, exploding and blowing the giant boulder up to pieces. The Goron standing nearby gave a yell of shocked surprise while Navi gave a shriek as the small shock-wave from the bomb flower was enough to send the small fairy tumbling through the air from where she had been floating. Link caught his fairy partner before she hit the ground.

 

"Never mind, one bomb flower is more than enough," Navi said in a dizzy voice, sitting up in Link's hands. She swayed side-to-side, little swirl's in her eyes, dizzy from her tumble in the air.

 

**************

 

"Oh Farore, it's so hot in here," Link panted, leaning against a wall. The Kokiri boy was sweating heavily, his strawberry blond hair sticking to his face and neck. His tunic was sticking to his skin, not made for this hot environment. "And if one more Dodongo larva jumps up and blows up on me one more time, I'm going to scream," he added with a hiss as he pushed off the wall, pulling at his injuries. The boy was covered in burns and cuts, thanks to several Dodongos, at all stages of growth, and strange statues called Beamos that shots a beam of light out of its 'eye'.

 

After Link had opened the Dodongo Cave, thanks to Sheik's plan, the two boys had quickly gone down the path to the cave. Sheik had been more than ready to join Link in saving the place only to have Navi put a stopper in his plans. The fairy had made it quite clear that this part of Link's quest was to be done alone without the young shadow elf's help. Sheik had pouted before sadly saying goodbye to his new friend and making Link promise to come back to his home once Link was done with Darunia's task and had the ruby spiritual stone.

 

From there it was one hardship after another, with the result of Link not liking Dodongos. As stated before, the boy had several burns on his hands and legs, his tunic sporting a few burn spots as well. He was just glad that there weren’t any of the fire breathing lizards that were as big as the one whose skull rested in the main chamber of the cave.

 

"Well at lease according to the map we found, there isn't too much more to explore here," Navi said, seemingly not bothered by the heat, though she too was disturbed by the monsters inside the cave network. This place was much more dangerous than the challenges that had been in the Deku Tree. Still, the old tree had said that this was the young boy's destiny so Link had to be able to handle everything thrown at him. "Come on, you rested long enough, time to head into the next chamber."

 

Link groaned but did as she said, heading to the exit out of the room. The next chamber was one he had been in before but in a different part. Across from him was a chest, making the boy wonder what was in this one. So far he had found a map and compass in the large chests in the cave, much like he had found in the Great Deku tree. Opening the chest, Link grinned as he reached in and grabbed a bag that was filled with bombs.

 

"Thank Din, I don't have to use those Bomb Flowers anymore," Link said as he slipped the bomb bag into the pouch Sheik gave him.

 

"You have had too many close calls with those things," Navi agreed as they moved on. "It's a very useful item you found really." Link just nodded his head in agreement, reaching up to whip the sweat off of his forehead again. He heard a digging sound as he reached the next room, groaning as he saw more baby Dodongos dig their way out of the ground.

 

****************

 

"I never want to see another Dodongo as long as I live," Link said as he leaned against the cavern wall, hissing as he pulled away as the rocky surface was a little too hot. He was finally finished with saving the Dodongo cavern, killing off the giant lizard in the very last chamber in the caves. That one had been huge! Almost as big as the skull in the first large cavern. The bombs had been useful at least, the dumb Dodongo had swallowed every single bomb the boy had tossed into its mouth as it drew in air to breath out a jet stream of fire.

 

"But you did good Link. You rid the caves of the Dodongos, just like you agreed to do. So that means Darunia must give you the Spiritual Stone of Fire! That only leaves the Stone of Water, we're closer to putting a halt to Ganondorf's plans," Navi said, nodding her head. They were so much closer to saving Hyrule, the Great Deku Tree would have been so proud of them.

 

"Oh Navi, don't start that again," Link sighed as he walked toward the finally cooled off lava pit in the middle of the room. In the middle, a circle of blue light had appeared, much like it had when he finished off Queen Goma in the Deku Tree, to take him and Navi back out. "I still don't believe that Ganondorf is going to take over Hyrule, there just something about Zelda's story that doesn't seem right to me. Besides, that girl creeps me out, like there's something wrong with her."

 

"Link, she's the princess of Hyrule. She's just trying to protect her people, much like her father did at the end of the Great Hyrule Wars," Navi said, shaking her head sadly, when would her charge give up this silly notion that the Gerudo King wasn't evil.

 

"Just because she's a princess does not make her a good person," Link insisted as he stepped into the warp circle. "I'm telling you, something doesn't sit right with me on her." Navi groaned and shook her head again as she joined the Kokiri boy in the light, dropping the subject for now. The light brightened, swirling around the pair, Link looking up as the warp took him outside. The magic gently lowered Link to the ground one outside the mouth of the Dodongo Cavern, the child sighing with relief as a cool wind blew past cooling him off.

 

Link stood there for a few minutes, letting himself cool down after the trial he had just went through before getting ready to hike back up the mountain side to the Goron City. He had only taken a couple of steps before stopping suddenly. There was a strange whistling noise that was getting louder by the second. He look up into the sky, giving a startled yelp as he dove out of the way to avoid being hit by a falling boulder. Only to find out it wasn't a boulder but in fact the Goron leader Darunia who stood up proudly once he had landed.

 

"Good job kid!" Darunia said a large smile on his face. "I can't believe none of us thought to blow up the boulder," he added, looking over his shoulder at the cave entrance. It was embarrassing that he didn't think of it, he was suppose to protect his Brothers, make sure they were in good health and fed. But he had failed in that, letting his anger of the situation go to his head. Darunia was very grateful to Link for not only reopening the Dodongo Cavern but also killing the monster inside.

 

"Well it's over now, but I never want to see another Dodongo as long as I live," Link said, lifting up a hand to rub at one of the burns on his arm.

 

"You know, I'm going to make you my Sworn Brother," Darunia said, patting Link on the back. The blond yelped as the hand hit his back and he was pushed forward, making him stumble forward. Navi made a pleased noise from where she floated above, her change being named a Sworn Brother to the leader of the Gorons was a great honor. Only the King of Hyrule had been given such an honor within the last 100 years. "And I will hold up my end of the deal, the Spiritual Stone of Fire is yours," Darunia said as he held up his hand. The Goron Ruby appeared high in the air before slowly floating down to his hand, he then handed it to Link. "Keep it with pride, Brother."

 

"Thank you Darunia," Link said with a smile as he took the stone, gazing at the beautiful ruby stone and gold frame work before placing it in his pocket beside the Kokiri Emerald.

 

"Another thing Brother," Darunia turned and pointed a large finger toward the smoky top of Death Mountain. "There is a Great Fairy that lives near the top of the mountain. It might be worth your wild to pay her a visit, she can at least heal those Dodongo burns, there's nothing like a fairy's healing magic."

 

"I think it would be a good idea to pay her a visit then," Navi said before Link could say anything. The boy frowned a bit, he wasn't against visiting the fairy but he was tried, sore and hurt. All he wanted to do is take a bath to wash off the ashy grime that clung to him then sleep. He did not want to climb up the side of an active volcano right now. But, Navi was going to bug him until he agreed to do what she said.

 

"Alright everyone, let’s send our Brother off," Darunia called out, hand cupped over his mouth. Several whistling noises came from above, same as when Darunia came sailing from the city above, before a small group of Gorons fell around Link and Navi.

 

"Good work brother."

"Let’s have a large group hug," Link gave a yell before running off through a opening in the group of advancing Gorons that lead up the path to the mountain. Navi quickly followed after, agreeing with the boy quick exit before the affectionate Gorons could hug him, avoiding being crushed.

 

Link ran up the side of the mountain until he turned a bend and was out of sight of the group of Gorons, who was already heading into the cavern to get their food. The small boy stopped running, panting softly as he leaned over to catch his breath, hands resting on bent knees. Navi flew on ahead, looking for the path that would take her and Link up to the Great Fairy that lived at the top.

 

"Come on Link, I found the way to the Great Fairy!" Navi called loudly, turning to face Link who was groaning softly as he straightened himself up and slowly walked to where the fairy was floating. "Hurry up!"

 

"Navi, would you hold your horse-flies," Link groaned as he stopped under the fairy. "I'm tired, I'm sore and hurt. I just want a soft bed and some food right now."

 

"Well, you'll get a chance to rest up and heal after we visit the Great Fairy," Navi said as she flew down and started to prod Link in the back to get him moving. The blond groaned softly but started moving again, climbing up the really steep hill until he reached the top and looked down the path that lead to the volcano itself. His violet eyes widened as it started to rain boulders and fire.

 

"You want me to go in there!?!" Link screeched as he turned his head to look up at Navi, pointing at the dangerous path.

 

"Well... yes. Look, it's stopping," Navi said, making her charge turn his attention back to the path. The rocks and fire tapered off, leaving behind crushed rocks. Link stayed where he was for several minutes, making Navi frown slightly. "What are you..." the fairy's little eyes widen as the rumbling started again, making her turn around and watch as the rocks and fire started to fall again.

 

"I knew it, it comes and goes," Link said turning to look up at Navi. "How do you suggest I go down there without being killed?"

 

"Use that shield of yours, like when the giant Dodongo tried to roll over you. That should protect you from the rocks. Or you could just run through and try to dive out of the way as they fall," Navi suggested, making Link think that she was completely nuts.

 

"Navi, I am beginning to hate you," Link said under his breath as he adjusted his large Hylain solider shield on his back before running down the dangerous path.

 

*********

 

Sheik knelt down, parting the bushes as he looked down the ground. He was worried about Link; the boy had been inside the Goron's Dodongo cavern since the day before. The Sheikah boy was greatly worried about the other boy, the first true friend he had in a long time. There weren’t that many children in the village other than himself and Kain. What little children there was in the village, they were afraid to approach the older child of the village leader. Link was a breath of fresh air for Sheik and he didn't want the other boy hurt or killed. He was worried about the fact that Link would have to rejoin his fellow Kokiri in the woods soon but Sheik was sure his mother would allow him to visit Link there.

 

To distract him from his worries about Link, Sheik was looking for the Minish. He hadn't seen any others since the one that Link had spoken to after nearly landing on its house but the other blond had told him the little people were everywhere. Sheik wanted to see the little blue robed people again, he had never seen anything like them.

 

"Sheik, what are you doing?" Kain asked, leaning forward with his hands braced on his knees. He had watched his big brother crawl and poke around in different places all around the village, looking behind bushes and even gave a long intense stare at a mushroom on the ground.

 

"I'm looking for the Minish," Sheik said, not looking up from his search until he was completely sure there were no Minish there.

 

"Oh.... What's a Minish?" Kain asked, tilting his head to the side, his hair that was tied off in a braid that day falling over his shoulder.

 

"It's a little creature that's about this big," Sheik sat back on his heels, holding his hand up with his fingers closed near together to show how big a Minish was, " wearing a little blue robe and hat and has a big feathered tail. They're suppose to be everywhere but only kids like us can see them."

 

"Like a Picori?" Kain asked again, squatting down beside his brother, arms wrapped around his knees. Sheik frowned at the foreign term then shrugged his shoulders.

 

"I don't know, I've never heard of a Picori. Where did you hear that?" Sheik asked as he stood up, brushing off his legs then holding out a hand to help his little brother up.

 

"The kids that moved from Hyrule Castle Town, they said that. They told me that they have this festival in the town around the castle that called the Picori Festival and it's about this little race of people that go around helping people but only kids are suppose to be able to see them," Kain said in an excited chatter as he grabbed Sheik's hand and allowed the older boy to pull him up.

 

"I guess they are the same thing, but the Kokiri called them Minish while the Hylains call them call them Picori," Sheik decided, as he turned to head back home. It was getting late and he knew Impa would be calling for them to come home soon. As the two Sheikah boys neared the home they shared with their mother, the sound of great beating wings came from above them as a large shadow passed over the ground. Sheik and Kain looked up as a very large owl flew over them, heading toward the roof top of their house. Sheik's red eyes widen as he noticed something, or to be more exact someone, in the talons of the large owl. "Link!"

 

Sheik wasted no time in teleporting to the roof of the house just as the owl, Kaepora Gaebora, dropped Link gently onto the roof. Link waved as Kaepora flew away then turned around in time to grabbed up in a hug from Sheik. Link was very glad that the Great Fairy of Power had healed all of his burns, cuts, and burses after she had gifted him with the knowledge of how to perform a powered up spin attack, otherwise he would be in pain with the way Sheik pounced on him.

 

"Hylia Link, I was worried. Did you do it? Did you get that stone from the Gorons?" Sheik asked as he let Link down then held him at arm length so he could look the other boy over.

 

"Yeah, I got the Goron Ruby and I destroyed the monster inside of the cave so the Gorons won't starve anymore," Link said tiredly. The fairy may have healed his hurts but he was still bone tired.

 

"Come on, you look like you’re about to fall over" Sheik said as he held Link close and teleported them into the house. Impa made a surprise noise as her son appeared in the middle of the room, before frowning.

 

"Sheik, do not teleport into the house," Impa sternly told the boy before taking in the state of the other boy in her offspring’s arms. "And let the poor boy sit down." Sheik blushed but helped Link to sit at the table. Almost at once, Link's head fell forward to rest on the table top. As tired as he was he didn't hear Kain enter the house with an annoyed Navi following him or notice as Impa lifted him from the table to lay him in a bed, falling completely asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

 

**********

 

Edit 7-20-14: Didn’t change much, just changed a couple of things to the correct and currently used names in some places.


	7. Chapter 7

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

 

Chapter 7

 

Link blinked sleepily as he woke up the next morning. Tired violet colored eyes looked around; the busy events from the day before came crashing down on him. He spied Navi sleeping in a makeshift nest made out of his hat on the low bedside table.

 

The small blond child slowly became aware that he wasn't in the bed alone. There was an arm draped across his waist, Link turning to look on his other side. Sheik was sleeping peacefully, the other child's face relax greatly in his sleep. Link wondered why Sheik was sleeping in the bed with him until he realized that this was likely Sheik's bed. He looked around again, spying Sheik's younger brother Kain asleep in a bed across the room.

 

After carefully removed Sheik's arm from across his waist, Link slowly sat up, gasping and moaning very softly as his abused and tired muscles screamed at him for moving. The Great Fairy of Power had been able to heal over his wounds and bruises from Dodongo Cave but not the soreness from all the fighting and moving he had been doing. Link swung his legs over the edge of the bed, slowly easing himself out onto the floor.

 

He slowly limped his way toward the door of the room, his form slowly becoming use to moving again. Looking out the door into the main room, Link didn't see anyone in the room before limping in and over to the table in the middle of the room. A soft sound of bleating caught his attention, Link turning and staring at the creature standing in a cage under the stairs. It was a little bit smaller than a cow, covered in blue fur with a large horn coming out of its head, making a circle above its body. Link had never seen an animal like it, walking closer to reach through the bars to softly pat its nose.

 

"It's called a goat," Link jumped a foot in the air before spinning and facing an amused Impa. "I did not mean to startle you."

 

"It... it's ok. I've never seen a goat before," Link said as his heart calmed in its racing.

 

"I'm sure there is a great deal you are seeing for the first time since you left your forest," Impa said, going over to the stove and began a fire within. "Goats are not common in this part of Hyrule, they hale from the Ordon region. Cows are much more common. But I prefer the milk goats produce."

 

"Isn't the cage a little small for it?" Link said as he reached in and patted the goat's nose again, the animal bleating again in happiness.

 

"It is taken out every day by one of my sons to graze and walk around," Impa assured him. "Link, please gather some water from the well near the center of town while I wake my sons," She requested, pointing toward the large bucket by the door. Link smile and nodded, picking up the bucket that was half his size and carried it outside toward the well.

 

After placing the bucket down beside him at the well, Link breathed deeply and started to look around, taking in the town in its early dawn state. He watched a cat creep along in the grasses and could hear the clucking of the Cuccos. Looking down, Link also saw a couple of tiny Minish walking along the edge of the well, gathering their own water from a tiny puddle of water. All in all, it was a peaceful looking town and Link liked it. It didn't have the busyness of Hyrule Castle Town but Link didn't mind, the city had been a little too busy for his liking and then there was the fact he had no love for the soldiers there. The Sheikah guards on the other hand seemed a lot nicer.

 

Link slowly filled the bucket with water from the well then started the slow journey back, trying not to spill any of the water. When he made it back inside, he saw Sheik at the table, head down on the surface, and Kain yawning softly as he followed his mother out of the room he shared with his brother.

 

"Thank you Link," Impa said as she easily picked up the bucket of water and carried it the rest of the way to the stove. Both of the Sheikah woman's sons gave Link a sleepily 'good morning' though Sheik's was muffled. Link noted that Navi wasn't there and could only hope the fairy was still sleeping.

 

"Impa, do you know if it's possible for me to somehow get some Cuccos and a cow or two to my village?" Link asked as he walked over to the stove; remember his plan on getting some of the animals to the Kokiri village to make their lives a little easier. Impa was surprised by the question, it had never accrued to her that the Kokiri wouldn't already have these things.

 

"I'm sure there is a way, there is a small village of Sheikah that lives in the forest near to yours, just outside of Kokiri lands," She said, turning away from the stove to look down at Link. "That guards that part of Hyrule. I'm sure they could arrange for a few animals to be delivered there."

 

"Thank you," Link said happily, grinning as Impa nodded her head and he went to join Sheik at the table who had lifted his head to listen to the others.

 

"Why do you want Cuccos and cows anyway?" He asked, turning to face Link.

 

"We don't have any in our village. We set traps for small animals and fish for meat," Link explained. "Otherwise, we have to have small gardens and look for berries and nuts in the woods for our food. You got to remember we do not have... parents?... like your do. We only have our fairies, the Great Deku tree and sometimes the Minish to look out for us; otherwise we must take care of ourselves. Sometimes we trade with the Kikwis but they don't leave their part of the forest very often."

 

"...oh," Sheik said, blinking red eyes at Link as he took in what the other boy told him. Never once had it accrued to him just how the Kokiri lived, only tales that they were the eternal children that lived in the forest. Something that a great many kids in the village wanted, to never grow up, but it seemed that there was more to that.

 

"Sheik, the Kokiri do not physically age past their per-teen years," Impa explained as she placed plates in front of the boys. "But that does not make them children the same way you are a child."

 

"Oh... so how old are you then Link," Sheik asked, wondering just how old Link was then if the Kokiri didn't age past a certain period.

 

"I'm only 10, not as old as the rest of the other's my village, I'm the child along with one or two others among my people," Link explained. "It will be a few years before I'm no longer considered just a child; finally having a fairy partner is a step in the right direction for that"

 

"So it always takes a long time for a fairy to partner up with a Kokiri?" Kain asked, getting into the conversation.

 

"Well... no, not really," Link said, shaking his head. "As far as I know, it's a rare thing."

 

"Enough talk, eat up you three," Impa said as she placed goblets of goat milk in front of the three boys. As she listened to Link, she was becoming more and more sure that the boy was in no way a true Kokiri. She wondered, just for a second as she sat down to her own breakfast, just what the Great Deku Tree had planned on doing when Link continued to age when the others of his village did not. She also wondered just who were in fact Link's parents. He did not resemble any Hylain that she had even met, and with his eye color, she believed that he may have some Sheikah blood as well.

 

Impa shook herself out of her thoughts, for now there was nothing to do about it other than inform the Sheikah in the village in the forest to keep an eye out for the young blond and to take him away when it came to light that he was in fact not a Kokiri.

 

*******

 

"Awww, why can't I go too?" Kain whined up at his mother as he watched Sheik pack a small bag to take with him as he traveled with Link and Navi to Zora's domain. He was to be their guide into the Zora's land.

 

"You are too young, my son," Impa said, she had trust in Sheik to keep out of trouble. "And your brother is at an age where he is starting to grow into a fine young Sheikah. Soon your time will come." Sheik blushed but felt a burst of happiness as he listened to his mother as he finished packing. Standing, he grabbed the throwing needles his mother taught him how to use. He was still too young to go out with the whip he was currently learning to use.

 

"Be careful Sheik, I except your return within the next couple of days," Impa said.

 

"I will Mom," Sheik said, kissing her cheek then pressed his forehead against Kain's. "Don't drive Mom nuts while I'm gone,” he said softly before running out of the door.

 

Sheik grinned as he saw Link waiting by the front gate of the village.

 

"Finally, we're wasting time waiting on you," Navi said as Sheik came to a stop by Link.

 

"Oh shut it bug, no one asked for your opinion," The boy said with a glare in the fairy's direction. "Let’s go Link; we have to walk up the length of Zora River to reached one of the entrances to Zora's Domain."

 

"One of them? There's more than one?" Link asked as he followed Sheik down the stairs that lead to Hylain Field.

 

"There are about 3 or 4 I think, but a couple of them are really far off. This one is sort of like a back entrance, it leads into inner caverns. It's also the one the Royal Family uses but since you have the song, you can use it too," Sheik explained. "There's also a visitors entrance that's near the throne room, but it would take a couple of days to reach that entrance on foot."

 

"We don't have time for that," Navi said. "So I suppose we will have to use your way."

 

*******

 

"Now, if I remember correctly, that fork in the river leads up to Lake Zora and that one leads to the city," Sheik said while pointing to the fork in the river.

 

"Lake Zora?" Link repeated. "Do any of the Zora live there?"

 

"Yeah, it's where most of the Zora live, they have a village down at the bottom," Sheik said as he led the way toward Zora domain. "The Zora are the ones that keep the rivers and the lakes clean."

 

"I've never seen a Zora before, are they like the Parella?" Link asked. It was rare for any of the Kokiri to venture as far as Lake Floria; he had only been twice with Saria as it was. He didn't remember seeing anything other than Parellas in the lake but that didn't mean that the Zora did go there.

 

"I don't know, I've never heard of the Parella," Sheik confessed as they continued up the river, passing by a large log in the water that was surrounded by large frogs that were each a different color.

 

"They kinda look like a jellyfish-seahorse... thing..." Link tried to describe. "They live in Lake Floria as the guardians. I think they also use to be servants to an old dragon that use to live in Faron woods but the dragon died a long time ago."

 

"Wow," Sheik said. "I've didn't know there was another lake in Hyrule. Anyway, we should see the waterfall that blocks the entrance here pretty soon," He said as they rounded the bend. Link made a noise of awe as he saw the water fall that flowed from the cliff. It wasn't as big as the water fall at Lake Floria but it was still quite a sight to see.

 

The two boys and fairy walked up the natural land bridges to the stone placard in front of the water fall.

 

"This is where you play the song of the royal family," Sheik said, standing to the side. Link took out the ocarina that Saria gave him and started to play Zelda's Lullaby. As the last notes played out, the waterfall slowed to a light trickle and revealed the entrance behind it. "Come on, the waterfall won't stay like this very long," Sheik said as he jumped across the gap into the tunnel. Link quickly followed him and as he landed, the waterfall came roaring back to life.

 

The light Navi gave off lit up the tunnel as the two boys walked down it until they came out in a large cavern that had a smaller waterfall flowing on the other side.

 

"Wow... are those the Zora?" Link asked, pointing at one of the fish people that was swimming around in the water and standing at the edge. They were nothing like the Parella and Link thought that they were very beautiful to look at.

 

"Yeah, that's them," Sheik confirmed. "There's another Zora village at the bottom of the cavern and an audience chamber at the top of the water fall." Sheik pointed at the waterfall on the other side of the chamber.

 

"How do we get up there?" Link said, he didn't think they could swim up it.

 

"There should be a set of stairs leading up." Sheik said. The pair explored the chamber, finally asking a Zora where they could find the king.

 

"Just head that way and you'll see the steps that leads up to King Zora," The Zora told them, pointing them in the right direction. Link thanked him then ran after Sheik to the stairs. Up at the up, sitting on top of a small water fall sat the fattest Zora either boy had ever seen.

 

Link stood up on the small stage across from King Zora, clearing his throat.

 

"Excuse me," He said, trying to get the Zora monarch's attention. King Zora ignored the boy, looking out above his head.

 

"Oh, my dear, sweet Princess Ruto. Where has she gone? I'm so worried," He murmured. Link and even Navi tried to get his attention, but the Zora continued to ignore him. Link turned and looked down at Sheik.

 

"I don't think he's going to listen until he hears from Princess Ruto," The other blond said with a shrug.

 

"Well, we should see if anyone knows where she is," Navi suggested.

 

*****

 

An hour later, all the two boys and fairy found out that no one knew where their princess was. One Zora even mentioned they searched as far as Lake Hyila. They even sent a messenger to Lake Floria to ask the Parella if the willful Zora princess had run away to their lake.

 

In that time, Link and Sheik had also played a diving game with a Zora who was standing at the top of the large waterfall in the cavern. Navi's complaints about Link taking time out of his quest to play a silly game died when the offered prize was a Silver Zora scale, a type of scale that would allow Link to hold his breath longer under water. The fairy decided it would be useful on their quest in the end.

 

After Link won his scale, he explored an underwater tunnel that took him to Lake Hyila. It was there he and Navi finally found a clue to where Princess Ruto might be.

 

"Look what I found at the lake," Link said when he returned to Zora's Domain, showing Sheik the bottle. Inside was a note supposedly written by the Zora princess that read:

 

_`Help me. I'm waiting for you inside Lore Jabu-Jabu's belly.... PS: Don't tell my father! `_

 

"We have to show this to King Zora. Maybe he'll finally talk to us," Sheik said. The boys raced back to the audience chamber and after telling King Zora they had found a clue to Ruto's whereabouts, finally got his attention. Link handed the bottle to King Zora who took the letter out.

 

"This letter! It's from Princess Ruto!" The king said in happy shock as he studied the hand writing. "Let's see....She's inside Lore Jabu-Jabu? That's not possible. Our guardian god, Lord Jabu-Jabu, would never eat my daughter!" the Zora proclaimed loudly. He then got a thoughtful look on his face."But... since those two strange women, Kotake and Koume, came here, Lord Jabu-Jabu has been a little green around the gills."

 

That struck a chord in Link; it was something important he knew. He vaguely remembered the Great Deku Tree mentioning that two witches from the desert had cursed him. Link couldn't remember if Darunia had mentioned anything about anybody from the desert but he was seeing a pattern. Whoever these two women where, this Kotake and Koume, were after the Spiritual stones he was collecting. Which made in his mind Zelda and Navi wrong, it wasn't Ganondorf after the stones, it was these witches!

 

"The evidence seems clear," King Zora continued speaking. "Of course, you'll go find Ruto. You can pass through here to the altar of Lord Jabu-Jabu inside Zora's Fountain." The far Zora started to butt-scoot over, making room for the boys to enter the fountain, grunting with each inch he moved. "Now, you keep the bottle the letter was in. Take it respectfully! Please find my dear Princess Ruto immediately."

 

Sheik and Link ran up to the entrance of the Zora Fountain area, dashing passed King Zora.

 

"Lord Jabu-Jabu enjoys fresh fish," King Zora called after them.

 

*******

 

"Oh Farore... I have to go in that thing!?" Link said, pointing to the giant whale-like creature that was in front of them.

 

"I... think so. The letter said Princess Ruto is inside," Sheik said.

 

"Of course you have to go," Navi said. "You have to get the last Spiritual Stone." The fairy flew in the direction of Jabu-Jabu, thinking Link was right behind her.

 

"Sheik, I need you to go back to your mom and tell her it's these Kotake and Koume people who are trying to take over," Link whispered to Sheik. "They're the ones who cursed and killed the Great Deku Tree and I bet they are the ones who caused all the trouble for the Gorons."

 

"Are you sure?" Sheik asked, he had been prepared to enter the Demi-god with Link. The other boy nodded, he could rescue Ruto by himself, and someone had to stop the witches. "Alright, just be careful."

 

"I will," Link promised. He watched Sheik teleport away then scooped up a fish into his new bottle.

 

"What took you so long?" Navi asked when Link finally joined her.

 

"I just asked Sheik to go back home," Link said. He wasn't about to tell her what he said to Sheik, the fairy still believed it was Ganondorf behind everything. "And to get a fish like King Zora said."

 

"Well good, we don't need Sheik here. This is _your_ quest," Navi said, her whole body dipping in midair as if she was nodding. Link scowled at Navi, he hated how single-minded she was, and opened the bottle. The fish fell out as he turned the bottle over and as it flopped on the ground, Jabu-Jabu's bulbous eyes zeroed in on it. The guardian god suddenly opened its mouth and started to suck in air the get the tiny fish.

 

Not only did the fish fly in, but so did Navi and Link with a yell.

 

*****

 

Sheik did as Link asked and teleported home to his mother where he quickly told Impa what was going on. The Sheikah leader cursed and headed toward her room, the door slamming. She returned a few minutes later, wearing a tight, form fitting Sheikah female armor.

 

"Stay here and look after your brother," Impa ordered Sheik. "I have to go warn the King." She drew a Deku nut from her pouch and threw it to the ground, teleporting out to the castle. Sheik bit his lip, there was something big going on, he had never seen his mother so worried. And he knew Link was worried about was going on at the castle.

 

"Kain, go stay with Anju," Sheik said to his little brother.

 

"But Sheik, Mom told us to stay here," Kain said, looking up at the older boy. Sheik gently clasped the back of Kain's neck and leaned his forehead against his brothers.

 

"I have to help Link," Sheik said softly, ruby red eyes staring into Kain's matching ones.

 

"Just... just be careful big brother," Kain whispered, pulling away and running out of the house to hide with Anju. Sheik took a deep breath and took out a Deku nut from the pouch on his hip. He had only been to Hyrule Castle once and he hoped he was still able to teleport there. The nut hit the floor and caused a bright flash and when the light cleared, Sheik was gone.

 

*****

 

Link threaded in the water as he watched Ruto swim away, heading out of the fountain area back to her father. He had done as King Zora had asked and saved the Princess of the Zoras. And boy wasn't she an annoying, spoiled brat! Still, she had been worried about her mother's stone, which had been the last spiritual stone he had been looking for.

 

"Well, we have the last one, let’s start headed back to Hyrule Castle and give the stones to Princess Zelda," Navi said, satisfied that their work was almost done.

 

"Navi.... what did she mean by 'engaged'?" Link asked as he swam for the shallow water.

 

"Err... just never mind that," Navi said with a slight nervous laugh. "It's nothing important." Link looked up confused at Navi but let the subject dropped, they had a long way to go to get out of Zora's Domain and then back to the castle. The blond boy had a bad feeling about giving the stones to Zelda, something telling him that he shouldn't...

 

*****

 

Ganondorf growled as he brought his sword up to block the spear of one of the Hyrule Castle guards, covering the backs of his Gerudos as they tried to get the castle servants out.

 

The last treaty meeting with King Dhanphos had been going well, Ganondorf had been setting up a trading route so his people could get fresh food and other comforts from outside the desert in exchange for guarding the desert boarders and more importantly, allowing his girls to become guards in a prison deep in the desert.

 

That was until all hell broke loose, the two witches known as Kotake and Koume had teleported into the throne room in a flash of fire and ice, cackling loudly. Ganondorf recognized the two; long ago they were two Gerudo that had learned the secrets of magic. They turned against the tribe and were exiled when they tried to kill one of his ancestors.

 

The two witch sisters had cast a spell throughout the room that hit every guard and knight within the castle, bringing them under their control and had their new minions start attacking. King Dhanphos would have been killed if it wasn't for the timely intervention of a Sheikah woman who teleported into the room and saved the king's life. Ganondorf had lost track of them some time ago, busy trying to defend himself from the possessed guards.

 

"I think that's all of them Ganny," Nabooru said, standing back to back with her cousin. "The Sheikah guards managed to save a good bit."

 

"We need to retreat then, the Sheikah woman who saved the king should have gotten him and the princess out," Ganondorf said, holding up a hand and shooting a bolt of lightning into the guard's chest, knocking the man back several feet. The two desert dwellers turned and ran out of the destroyed throne room, hurrying down hallways toward the front gate. The pair came halting to a stop as they saw the Sheikah woman from before with a small child who was holding a harp and an ocarina.

 

"Wait, you’re the Sheikah woman from before, where is Dhanphos?" Ganondorf asked, noticing the blood on the woman's hands.

 

Impa looked up at the Gerudo king with a grimace.

 

"He's dead, Zelda turned on her father and killed him," She said. "I didn't suspect her to be a part of this and I allowed her to get close to her father."

 

"Zelda.... is a part of his madness?" Ganondorf asked in surprise. Impa nodded and pulled Sheik closer to her.

 

"We need to flee," She said, kicking open the lever that kept the gate closed and running toward the stables. Ganondorf and Nabooru looked at each other then ran out, Ganon whistling loudly. A moment later, a large black stead came crashing out of the stables and raced to his master. Ganondorf climbed onto his back and Nabooru climbed up behind him. He trusted his girls to escape from the castle and did the same, riding off with his cousin to safety.

 

*****

 

Link became very uneasy the closer they got to Hyrule Castle Town. Despite it being the middle of the day, he could see that the drawbridge was up like it was at night. On top of that, storm clouds were building up above them looking ready to burst with rain.

 

"I wonder why the bridge is up," Navi said as they finally came to a stop. "Hey! Let us in!" At Navi's yell, the bridge started to lower, making the fairy think that whoever was controlling it heard her. As it finished lowering, the sound of running horses came. First came Ganondorf and Nabooru on a black horse that raced by quickly without stopping as Link dove to the side to keep from being run over. "Wait! Wasn't that Ganondorf?!" Navi asked as she flew straight up.

 

Link got up from off the ground and turned as he heard another horse coming. His eyes widen as this time a white horse rode past with Impa on its back and Sheik sitting in front of her on it. Sheik had a terrified look on his face and he suddenly tossed something in Link's direction. The object, whatever it was, flew over Link and Navi, landing in the moat. As the two horses disappeared out of sight, a group of Hyrule castle guards and knights rode past on horses giving chase.

 

 _'Wait! This is just like my dream!'_ Link thought in alarm.

 

"Heeheehee. It seems they got away Koume," A crackling old voice said from behind Link, causing him to turn around. Hovering above him was a pair of old women on brooms, both with green skin and white hair.

 

"Heeheehee. That they did Kotake," The second old witch, Koume said. "Ho! You, boy! Which way did the Gerudo man and Sheikah woman go?" She asked, pointing at Link.

 

Link shook his head and reached behind him, taking his Kokiri sword and Deku shield in hand.

 

"Heeheehee," Both witches laughed, starting to circle around Link in the air.

 

"He has spunk sister," Kotake said, looking at the blond elf.

 

"He thinks he can defeat us but he's just a little boy," Koume said with amusement. She held up her hand and gathered fireball together in it. "HO!" Koume yelled as she threw it at Link, hitting him in the chest.

 

"Ahh," Link yelped in pain as he was knocked onto his back. The fireball only burnt him slightly but it had been enough to make him very wary.

 

Koume sniffed and looked at her sister. "He's no concern to us."

 

"We should get back. We've lost our prey... for now," Kotake said. "We have to crown the new... queen." The sister witches crackled loudly again and zoomed off quickly on their brooms toward the castle.

 

"New... queen?" Navi asked as they disappeared from sight, the sky clearing of the clouds from before. "Did... did they mean Zelda? That would make them on our side wouldn't it? Why did they attack you!?"

 

"I don't think they were good Navi," Link said as he got up off the ground, putting his sword and shield back into place. "Now will you believe me about Zelda? There is something... off about her. They were the ones who cursed the Great Deku Tree!"

 

"But... but..." Navi sputtered in shock, flying after Link as he ran over to the moat and looked in. There, at the bottom, was the object that Sheik threw to him. Link leapt into the cold waters and swam down, grabbing it and holding it up once he surfaced. It was a dark blue ocarina with a little tri-force symbol on the mouth piece. "That's the Ocarina of Time!"

 

Link didn't listen to Navi as his vision when white, both he and his fairy partner dragged into a vision.

 

*****

 

 _`Link, if you have the Ocarina of Time now then everything has gone very wrong,'_ Link heard Sheik's voice in his head as he watched an image of Sheik standing in front of an alter _. 'After I told my mother about the witches, she left to warn the king... and I followed her. The Royal Family has two important instruments that the witches couldn't get their hands on.'_

 

In Sheik's hands were the ocarina and a golden harp.

 

_'The Ocarina of Time is one of the keys to opening the Scared Realm. The Harp belonged to my people's goddess Hyila. Link... you were right about Zelda. Right after I found the instruments, my mother teleported into the room with the King. At the same time Zelda busted into the room and ran to her father... She killed him! While the king was holding her, she drew out a dagger and stabbed him in the heart.'_

 

Sheik shook his head, tears in his eyes. _'Link, the laugh she gave was so cold... so evil. The witches appeared then, congratulating her on a good job and calling her the queen. Mother saw me by that time and grabbed me, running. It's up to you to keep the Tri-force from Zelda and the witches.'_

 

Sheik took the harp and seemed to look at Link.

 

 _'This is the song you need to open the Door of Time,'_ Sheik played out the Song of Time on the Goddess Harp. As he finished, everything started to go white again. _'Please Link... be safe....'_

 

*****

 

Link came to again, standing on the shore of the moat.

 

"Oh goddess... she.... Zelda.... but she couldn't....." Navi said softly, shaking her head.

 

"She did... and now we have to make sure she doesn't do any more harm," Link said with determination, crossing over the bridge into the town. As he walked through, he could hear the people that lived there talking. They knew something had happen at the castle but wasn't sure what. Link found the path that lead to the Temple of time and entered its large doors. "Wow..."

 

Link looked around the large room, there were pillages at the edge and in the middle of the floor was a large raised platform that had a strange symbol on it. He could hear singing in the background; somewhere someone was singing the Song of Time. He saw the same alter from his vision/dream from Sheik and raced up to it.

 

"Ye who owns three spiritual stones, stand with the Ocarina of Time and play the Song of Time," Link read from the altar.

 

"Well, I guess we do as it's says," Navi said, her voice very quite. Link nodded and took out the blue ocarina, slowly playing the song he could hear behind him. As the last note played, there was a flash and suddenly Kokiri Emerald, the Goron Ruby and the Zora Sapphire was in the air, slowly floating down to hover above the indents that matched them on the altar. The blue door behind the altar started to glow and slowly parted, revealing the chamber behind it.

 

Link and Navi slowly went through the doors, looking around the new room.

 

"Link... isn't that?" Navi asked, stopping for a second then racing over to the sword that was in a pedestal in the middle of the chamber. "It's that legendary blade, the Master Sword!"

 

Link had never heard of the sword before but he felt... compelled to touch it... to pull it out. He wrapped his hands around the hilt and with a grunt, pulled it out of the pedestal a moment later. Link could have sworn he heard a voice in his head that said.

 

 _'Not yet Master, you are too young.'_ It was the last thing he heard before his world went black.

 

"Heeheehee," Kotake and Koume cackled as they appeared with Zelda between them. "I guess the boy was useful after all."

 

"I knew he would be able to get us into the chamber," Zelda said with a halty look. "It was only a matter of time," She said as they entered the Scared Realm now that the final key had been drawn. "There it is... the Tri-force."

 

In the middle of the room shone the gold relic of the goddess, drawing Zelda closer.

 

"After so long... it's finally mine," Zelda said in a dreamy voice, reaching up to touch it. "I wish to rule the world!" she said as she laid her hand on it. But Zelda’s wish was never granted as the Tri-force flashed and split into three separate pieces. The bottom left piece, the Tri-Force of Wisdom, flew into Zelda, making a mark appear on the back of her hand. At the same time, the Tri-force of Power and Courage disappeared, making Zelda scream loudly in anger.

 

*****

 

Rauru, the Sage of Light, watched as Link floated in the middle of a crystal.

 

"Sleep well child... you will be need again once you are old enough to wield the Master Sword," He said as he turned away, he could already feel the Scared Realm changing into something dark and twisted, he had to make sure the Sage's chamber was secured.

 

"He'll do just find Rauru, the spirit inside the sword would not have let him draw the blade if he was not worthy," Fado the Sage of Wind said as Rauru walked toward the Kokiri and Zora standing in the chamber with him.

 

"Until then, we'll watch over him until he awakes," The Zora male beside Fado said. Mako the Sage of Earth, looked down at his fellow sage. "Won't we."

 

"Yes, and when he awakes, we'll continue to pray to the goddess to give the Master Sword its power," Fado agreed.

 

"Thank you my friends," Rauru said with a smile. "I must secure the chamber then do what I can to call the other sages to us."

 

As the three sages spoke, none of them noticed the glow on Link's hand as the Tri-force of courage bonded with him.

 

*****

 

"Destroy the bridge," Ganondorf said as the last of his Gerudo’s appeared. "We don't want the Hylains to follow us into the desert."

 

"What are we going to do Ganon?" Nabooru asked, looking up at her cousin.

 

"For now, we'll have to go back to our old ways. Zelda is our enemy now, but only her and the witches Kotake and Koume. The rest of the people are innocent so we shall refrain from killing them," Ganondorf said tensely. "We will fight against them to regain Hyrule's freedom... but I see dark days head for everyone before then."

 

At that time, Ganondorf's hand started to glow as the last piece of the Tri-force, Power, came to rest with him.

 

****

 

Author note: First off, let me apologize for taking 4 years to get this chapter out. I don't have an good excuse other than I had a really bad case of writer's block for a long time and my life was really, really hectic for a while so writing wasn't on my mind. I was working at a place that I didn't enjoy anymore and it impacted my writing. But, I've gotten a new job in the last year and I've been working on and off on this and three other stories since then.

 

Another thing that happen was Skyward Sword came out. It added more background to the myth of the series and I had to rethink a few of my ideas. It didn't change too much on what I had planned and as you can see in this chapter, I built Hyrule up more on the new places and races that was introduced, much like I did with the Minish.

 

Any who, the first half of Link's adventure is over. And we've seen how Zelda and Ganon's fates had been switched, making her the bad guy and him the good. Now we're heading for the second half of the game.

 

And if anyone does wonder, no Fi is not going to come out of her sword. It's always been hinted that the Master Sword chooses its master which we now know it's Fi who does it. I figured that she would speak to Link just this one time to tell him he's not ready. Fado and Make won't really show up again either, they gotta fulfill their role in their temples once Link wakes up.

 

Edit 7-21-14: Just a lot of spelling and grammar fixed this time around.


	8. Chapter 8

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

 

Chapter 8

 

Rauru watched as Mako and Fado disappeared in a flash of ice blue and light green lights. They had informed him the day before that Link, the chosen Hero of Time, was close to waking. Since then, the three sages had worked quickly to prepare for the boy and his fairy's awaking after seven long years.

 

Those years had not been kind to Hyrule. With the murder of her father, Zelda had taken control over the throne with the help of the two witches Kotake and Koume. Both Hyrule Castle and the town surrounding it had been destroyed, everyone who managed to escape running to Kakariko Village while Zelda had a new castle, more like a tower, built in the old castle's place. In Kakariko Village, all the Sheikah had left, leaving space for the people who escaped the castle town to live while the shadow elves retreated to their other hidden villages. The Sheikah did what they could to combat Zelda and her forces but bit by bit, Hyrule had been corrupted.

 

Lake Hyila was now dried up and the all forests were overrun by monsters. Both Zora's Domain and Lake Zora were recently frozen and who knew what Lake Floria looked like at this point. Death Mountain had a ring of fire around its top that didn't bode well for anyone.

 

Still, Link would be awaking any minute now, ready to put things to right while he awaken his fellow sages of Fire, Forest, Water and Spirit as Impa already knew she was the Sage of Shadow. Rauru turned to the teen laying on the floor of the chamber. He was dressed in a forest green tunic and hat, styled after the Kokiri tunic he wore as a child. The tunic and the boots were a gift from Fado who returned to his fellow Kokiri and had them make them. Mako on the other hand took the old Zora scale Link won as a child and had them fashion into earrings, which had a metallic blue sheen to them once they were done. Complete with the white shirt and breeches and the fingerless gauntlets they found, Link managed to look impressing.

 

Rauru's ears perked up as he heard Link groan softly.

 

"Link, wake up Link, the chosen one," Rauru called, smiling softly as Link's blue eyes fluttered up then sat up with a soft groan. Navi woke up as well, her wings fluttered before she rose up in the air, a blue light surrounding her.

 

"Who... who are you?" Link said, jerking slightly as he heard his voice. It was deeper than he remembered it being, what had happen to him? "Where am I?"

 

"I am Rauru, one of the ancient Sages. Ages ago, we ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm. This is the Chamber of Sages, inside the Temple of Light, situated in the very center of the Sacred Realm, is the last stronghold against Zelda's evil forces," Rauru explained as Link picked himself off the floor. "The Master Sword, the evil-destroying sword that you pulled out of the Pedestal of Time, was the final keep to the Sacred Realm. Link... don't be alarmed. Look at yourself!"

 

Link blinked at the command and looked down, letting out a yelp as he realized he was a long further from the floor than he was use to. He looked at his hands and down his front before turning to look at his back over his shoulder. Navi bounced in the air as she looked over her charge.

 

"Look Link! You're big now!" She said "You've grown up!" Link just looked at himself in shock that should be impossible! Well, impossible if he was a Kokiri, but since he started this journey, he had begun to suspect that he was anything but. He was lost in his thoughts for a few moments until he realized that Rauru was speaking again.

 

"... old enough, the time has come for you to awaken as the Hero of Time! But remember," Rauru said, gravely looking Link. "Though you opened the Door of Time in the name of peace, Zelda, the false queen of Hyrule, used it to enter this forbidden Sacred Realm."

 

"False queen?" Navi asked. "But... but the Great Deku Tree... and then that Sheikah boy said..."

 

"Zelda did indeed kill her adopted father seven years ago," Rauru confirmed, making Navi sag, Link had been right then when he told her they couldn't trust the princess.

 

"Adopted?" Link asked, making Rauru nod.

 

"The queen had been the wife to King Dhanphos's head knight but the marriage was known to very few. When the knight was killed during the war, his majesty offered to marry her so the child would not be accused of being born out of wedlock," He explained. "He treated Zelda as his own, even giving her the scared name used by the royal line. The queen died when Zelda was barely a year old from an attack on the castle, it was what prompted the king to end the war and unite Hyrule once more.

 

"And now that Zelda has obtained the Triforce from the Temple of Light and used its power, she has become the Queen of Evil. Her evil power has radiated from the temples of Hyrule and in seven short years, transformed Hyrule into a world of monsters. My power has little influence here in the Scared Realm, namely this chamber. But.. but there is still hope. The powers of the remaining sages are out there, sleeping. When the powers of all the sages are awakened, the Sages’ Seal will contain all of Zelda's even power in the void of the realm."

 

Rauru straighten his back and looked the young man in front of him in the eyes. "I, Rauru, am one of the Sages and your power to fight with the Sages makes you the Hero of Time! The Hero chosen by the Master Sword!" Rauru reached into his robe and took out a small golden medallion with the same symbol he remembered seeing on the floor of the Temple of Time. "Keep my spirit with you. Find the other sages and add their might and power to yours." He handed the medallion to Link to looked at it for a moment then tucked it into his pouch.

 

Suddenly a circle of blue surrounded Link's feet and teleported him and Navi out of the chamber. A moment later both the now teenage boy and the fairy were standing in the chamber where he drew the Master Sword 7 years prior.

 

******

 

"Link... we're back in the Temple of Time. But have seven years really passed?" Navi said, flying to look at down at Link. "I don't think you'll be able to use some of the weapons you found as a kid." Link rolled his eyes, that was obvious. "Let’s get out of here!"

 

Link nodded and stepped down off the platform that held the sword's pedestal. He stopped before he reached the door... he had the feeling someone was... watching him. He grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword and drew it and his shield, turning around to face whoever was behind him.

 

"I've been waiting for you... Hero of Time," A slight muffled male voice said as a figure stepped out of the shadows. Link looked slightly wary but more curious than anything at the man standing in front of him. Slender but muscular, wearing skin tight armor with the Sheikah symbol on his chest. The young man was also wearing a hood that kept most of his golden blond hair back baring the section that was swept in front of his right eye and a mask that hid the lower part of his face. Link looked up into the other's ruby red eyes and realized he had seen them before.

 

To Link it only felt like a few hours, but he still recognized his friend.

 

"Sheik?" He asked, lowering his blade finally. The other's eyes seemed to smile before the young man reached up, grasping his mask and pulled it down.

 

"Link," Sheik said with a grin, he had missed the other boy greatly. "You've grown, I thought Kokiris was unable to grow up," he said teasingly.

 

"I think I was misinformed about who and what I am" Link said, placing the Master Sword back into its scabbard and stepping back up the steps to see Sheik eye to eye. "You’ve grown too... what are you doing here?"

 

Sheik's lips quirked slightly in a sad smile. "I felt it was partly my fault that Zelda and her witches were able to kill the king and take over Hyrule, so I've trained these last seven years to help you on your quest."

 

"It wasn't either of your faults," Navi said as she flew between them. "Zelda had me tricked, I really thought she right and Ganondorf was after Hyrule and the Triforce. If Link had done as I asked, we would have handed the Spiritual Stones over to her or she would have given us the Ocarina of Time to open the door."

 

"That's nice of you bug," Sheik said, looking at the blue fairy. "But we still opened the door and I gave Link the final key. So we have to save Hyrule and put it back in the hands of the true royal family. I am to act as a guide for you Link, though I can't enter the temples with you, it's the role of the Hero of Time to awaken the Sages. But I can help outside of the temples."

 

"Guide how?" Link asked.

 

"Clues and hints to each temple, I can't tell you straight out how to get to each one, it's part of your test of the Hero to find them on your own. But when you reach each temple, or figure out where it is, I will be able to teach you the scared songs that will allow you to teleport to each temple should you want to return," Sheik said. "There are five temples: one in a deep forest, one on a high mountain, one under a vast lake, one within the house of the dead and one inside a goddess of the sand."

 

Link repeated the locations softly under his breath; it gave him an idea where he should look.

 

"Thank you Sheik," Link said to Sheik who nodded and pulled his mask up over his face.

 

"One of the Sages is waiting in the Forest Temple, a girl who I'm sure you know. But you'll be unable to enter the temple at this time," Sheik said. "I suggest heading for Kakariko Village, there you will find something that can help within the grave of the old grave digger. Be safe Link, Hyrule is a lot more dangerous now than it was when we were children." Sheik stepped back and took out a Deku nut, tossing it onto the floor, sending up a bright flash of night that blinded Link for a second as the other blond teleported away.

 

*********

 

Link decided that he hated ReDeads more than he ever hated Dodongos. They were creepy as well and to be honest, he was a bit afraid of them. Those screams they made... Link shivered slightly as he remembered the screams the ReDead made. It was also a shock to see what had happen to Hyrule Castle Town, everything was destroyed and there was that large tower like castle where Hyrule Castle use to be...

 

He looked out at Hyrule Field; it didn't look all that different than it did seven years ago.

 

"Wow, those clouds look ominous," Navi said, looking upward to the sky where dark clouds hung. "I swear... I can almost feel the evil presents in them."

 

"Let’s just go to Kakariko," Link said, running in the direction of Death Mountain and the village under it. The run didn't seem to take as long as it did when he was child and guessed it had to be the new longer legs he had now. Once in the village, he felt relieved to see that Kakariko Village was mostly the same as it was before. There were a couple of buildings he could see and remembered the builders that had been running around his first visit to the village.

 

He did notice that a lot of the people he remembered from his youth from Hyrule Castle Town now lived here and that he couldn't see a single red eye person in the crowds.

 

"The Sheikah must have all left," Navi said, noticing it as well. "Zelda would have wanted to kill them, they must have run to save themselves." Link nodded in understanding and started to wonder, he remembered that the graveyard was in the back of the village.

 

********

 

Link watched the ghost composer Flat disappeared in a flash then looked at the headstone that was in between Flat and his brother Sharp's graves. He hadn't found the grave keepers gave yet and had been making his rounds to each grave to find it. At the head of the graveyard, which where he was now, he encountered two ghostly brothers who had been composers for the Royal Family.

 

"Well, I think we should do what they said, anything from the royal family should be a big help," Navi said. Link nodded and stood on top of the tri-force symbol on the ground, playing Zelda's Lullaby. The sky seemed to darken and the rain started to come down harder. Link looked around worried only to be knocked back as lightning struck the large gravestone in front of him, knocking him down with a yell.

 

Link sat up and looked at the space where the grave had been a moment before. The grave was only a pile of rubble surrounding a hole in the ground. He got up, brushing the dirt off his legs and tunic then step closer to the hole.

 

"What do you think is down there?" Link asked.

 

"I don't know," Navi said. "Only way to find out is to jump down." Link hopped into the hole down to the chambers down below. Link quickly found out what was down in the chambers... more ReDeads. Link shivered as he dodged one of the screaming monsters, panting as he dove into the tunnel after them.

 

"I hate those things," He complained, shuddering in fear.

 

"Link look!" Navi yelled, flying over to a large, grave like monument. Link followed over and read the words inscribed out loud.

 

"The rising sun well eventually set. A newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun, give peaceful rest to the living dead," Link read then saw the song itself. He took the Ocarina of Time out and copied what he saw on the stone. As the last notes rang out he swore he felt the power from the song and unknowing to him, it changed from day to nighttime outside.

 

"Link look, there's more to the poem," Navi said, hovering over the rest of the inscription. "Restless souls wander where they don't belong, bring them calm with the Sun's Song. Maybe you can use the song against the ReDead."

 

"Let's go try it," Link said, giddy with the idea he would be safe from the undead outside of the chamber. He played the Sun Song again and grinned as the ReDead froze in place once the last notes were played.

 

"Come, let’s get out of here," Navi suggested, Link couldn't argue with that and ran past the ReDead quickly in case they started moving again. "Wow, it's night time already! That song must have a stronger power than I thought," The fairy said as Link climbed out of the hole. Link agreed as he brushed the dirt off of himself and looked around. He only had a few more graves to check for the grave keeper’s.

 

******

 

The Kokiri raised teen panted as he ran after Dampé, the ghost was fast! He saw the door ahead of them start to close and he dove under it, rolling out of the way to keep from being crushed by the stone door. His stocking cap fell off in the process, making Link reach back under the door to grab it before the door could close all the way.

 

"That was close,” Navi said as Link put his cap back on. Link just grinned; it had been a bit fun. He climbed onto the platform that Dampé was floating over.

 

"You were very quick to be able to keep up with me!" The ghost said in a gravelly voice. "You're the first person to ever make it! You can have my treasure I found when I was alive, it's called the Hookshot! Doesn't that sound cool! I'm sure it will help you," Dampé pointed to a treasure chest. Link opened the chest and grinned as he saw the hookshot at the bottom of the chest.

 

"Thanks Dampé," Link said as he placed it in his pouch Sheik gave him when they first met.

 

"I live here now, so come back again sometime," Dampé said, waving before disappearing in a flash of fire.

 

"I bet this is what Sheik was talk about, now we can get into the Forest Temple," Navi said as they exited the grave though the only door. Link blinked as they ended up in the windmill that was in front of the graveyard in Kakariko. Down below was a balding man that was playing a phonograph with an angry look on his face. Link shared a look with Navi then jumped down from the platform to the turning wheel below. The blond stumbled as he landed; the slow moving wheel had thrown off his balance a bit, then rode it around to the man.

 

"Sir? Are you ok?" Link asked as he stepped off the spinning wheel in front of Guru-Guru.

 

"Grrrrrr! I'll never forget what happened on that day, seven years ago! Grrrrr!" Guru-Guru said with a loud angry growl, pumping the crank of his music box even faster. "It's all that ocarina kid's fault! Next time he comes around here, I'm gonna mess him up!"

 

"Ocarina kid?" Link repeated. "What happen seven years ago?"

 

"A punk kid with an ocarina came in one day and played a song that started to make it rain in the windmill," Guru-Guru said, his eyes all but growling in his anger. "It made the windmill spin to fast, it drained the well. Grrrrr!"

 

Link became curious and took out the Ocarina of Time front his pouch.

 

"Like this one?" He asked, holding it up so the older man could see it.

 

"What!?! You've got that ocarina! What the heck!?" Guru-Guru said, both confused and angry at the same time. "That reminds me of that time, seven years ago! I'll never forget this song!" He started turning the crank again on the music box, playing out the tune slowly. Link couldn't help but repeat the song, wondering if it would really make it rain inside. There was a slow rumble of thunder and flash of lightening as it started to rain. The wheel in the middle that turned the windmills arms started to spin faster and faster, making the arms spin quickly outside as well.

 

Guru-Guru screamed in anger and chased Link and Navi around the windmill for a moment before he ran out of breath. He cursed at the teen loudly as Link made a break for the door and ran out.

 

"Don't you ever come back or I will mess you up!"

 

*********

 

"Do you know a place where I can stay the night?" Link asked one of the villagers. It was late in the evening and he wanted to get some sleep.

 

"Oh, the lady in that house there lets travelers sleep for a small fee," The villager said, pointing to one of the houses in the front of the village. Link smiled in thanks and ran over to the house.

 

"Hello?" He asked as he opened the door.

 

"Oh, good evening dear," The woman at the stove said, turning around. Link just managed not to react, the woman was.... not very pretty looking. "Looking for a place to sleep? We don't get new visitors very often."

 

"Yes, please," Link said as he got over his shock from the woman's looks.

 

"Well its 20 rupees a night. You can have the bed next to that poor man over there," She said, pointing to a set of bunk beds on the other side of the room. Link gave her a red rupee and turned toward the beds. He gasped softly as he recognized the man sleeping on the beds.

 

"Is that Talon?" Navi asked as she noticed the man as well.

 

"Oh him?" The woman said, glancing in Talon's direction. "I think he use to work at the ranch but lost his job. He's always just lazing around, morning, noon and night. He's an awfully carefree guy during such hard times." Link nodded slowly and walked over to the beds.

 

"Talon?" He shook Talon's shoulder, trying to wake him up. But Talon just kept sleeping, mumbling about Malon and her worrying.

 

"I don't think he's going to wake up," Navi said as Link gave up and sat down on the bed he rented for the night. "I bet if we had that demon bird of yours, we could wake him up that way."

 

"Cluck isn't a demon bird. You just don't like him because he tried to eat you," Link said in amusement as he lay down. "... What do you think happen to him? Why is Talon here and not at his ranch?"

 

"I don't know," Navi said as she landed on Link's chest, her light going out.

 

"I hope Malon is ok... I'm going to check on the ranch tomorrow," Link said softly.

 

"Link, we don't have time for that. We need to get to the forest temple," Navi said with a shake of her head. Link scowled at the fairy.

 

"No, we can make time to check on Malon and the horses to make sure they are alright," He said firmly. Navi sighed; she already knew Link was not going to change his mind over this. She just hoped that this side trip wouldn't hurt them in the long run.

 

******

 

The next morning, Link and Navi left Kakariko Village and trekked across Hyrule Field to Lon Lon Ranch. The sky seemed to be overcast over the ranch and everything was quite baring a few soft neighs from the horses. Link peeked around the corner at the corral where the horses were kept during the day. He could see the old ranch hand, whose name he never really gotten, standing in front of the gate which was locked so the horses were trapped inside.

 

"Didn't they get to run outside the corral before?" Link whispered to Navi.

 

"Yes," Navi said as they ducked out of sight. "It's like they're in prison now. I didn't see Malon, let’s check inside." The pair checked the house first but Link didn't find any clues to where Malon might be. Next he checked the stable where he hit the jackpot.

 

He almost didn't recognize her at first, like Sheik Malon had grown up, turning into a pretty teenage girl.

 

"Hello?" He said, trying to get her attention. Malon, who was cleaning a stall startled at the sound of his voice.

 

"Oh, a visitor! It's been a long time since we've had a visitor here. Where did you come from?" Malon said, her voice was soft and to Link, it seemed like she wasn't the spunky girl he met when they were children. Link didn't get a chance to answer as the girl continued. "Since Zelda became queen, the people in the Castle Town have gone. Places have been ruined and monsters are wondering everywhere."

 

"What happen here? What happen to Talon?" Link asked. Malon smiled sadly, gripping the broom she was holding tightly.

 

"Mr. Ingo took over the ranch 5 years ago; he's just using it to gain Zelda's favor. Everyone... everyone seems to be turning evil. Dad... he was kicked out of the ranch by Mr. Ingo. He let me stay but if I disobey Mr. Ingo, he will treat the horses so badly. So there's nothing I can do," Malon said, reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes. She missed her father and how much fun it use to be running their family's ranch. Lon Lon Ranch had been in their family for years. (1) Her ancestors use to only raise cows and provide milk for all the villages but Talon told her that his father had a way with horses and soon the ranch raised the finest in all of Hyrule. Their few cows were locked up in their barn and their horses were locked in the corral during the day, all thanks to Mr. Ingo.

 

Link's blue eyes harden; he was going to make this right. He was going to make sure the ranch was given back to Talon and Malon.

 

"Don't worry, everything will work out," Link told her, squeezing her shoulder in comfort and heading outside to confront Ingo. Malon watched the boy leave; there was something.... very familiar about him.

 

******

 

Author note: And now we begin the second part of the game. With the new information from Skyward Sword, the only way Zelda could be evil if she wasn't a blood descendant of the Zelda from SS. Therefore, this Zelda was adopted by the king.

 

(1) In Minish Cap, there was a Lon Lon Ranch and these versions of Malon and Talon had to be the ancestors of the OOT Malon and Talon. The MC Lon Lon Ranch only had cows and one horse and between that time and now, they had to have started to raise more horses than cows.

 

And on a second note, I'm looking for a beta to proof read this fic before I put it out. Lots of people have been pointing out my grammer sucks in all my fics. It was never my best subject in school. So if anyone would like to beta for me, drop me a line.

 

Edit 7-22-14: Fixed all the little mistakes I could find.


	9. Chapter 9

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

 

Chapter 9

 

Ingo smirked as he watched the green clad teenage boy walk up to him, a glint in those blue eyes.

 

 _'There's a sucker born every minute,'_ the oily Hylain thought to himself, clasping his hands behind his back. This was a young man that wanted to prove something, meaning the teen was an easy picking for rupees.

 

"There are some people in Kakariko spreading that I cheated Talon out of the ranch," Ingo said when Link was close enough. Navi didn't remember hearing anyone say Talon was cheated, only that he might have been fired.

 

"Well didn't you," Link said, standing in front of Ingo, one hand on his hip.

 

"Don't be ridiculous!" Ingo said with a snort, reaching up to stroke his mustache. "That Talon was weak. I poured so much energy into this place! I don't want any strangers like you saying anything bad about me."

 

Ingo draped his arm over Link's shoulder, drawing the teen closer.

 

"Listen, her Majesty Zelda recognized my obvious talents and gave the ranch to me!" He said, waving his free hand at the enclosed field. Zelda had nothing to do with Ingo taking control of the ranch; it was all his own work. "I will raise a fine horse and win recognition from our beautiful queen."

 

Link grit his teeth and shoved Ingo's arm off of his shoulders, feeling dirty just from the man touching him.

 

"Say young man, why don't you ride one of my fine horses?" Ingo offered, touching his chest. "Just to show you I'm not a bad guy. It will only take a small fee."

 

"Sure," Link said, hoping he could break the horse out of the locked gates. Ingo smirked as he thought _'hook, line and sinker'_ as he turned around and unlocked the gate. Once Link paid the requested price, he waved Link in before him into the corral then locked it back behind him. Link scowled and turned away when he saw what Ingo did, looking out at the horses in front of him. He looked around, he hadn't a clue how to ride a horse and no idea which one to chose.

 

A neighing noise caught Link's attention as he wondered around, making Link turn and his eyes widen as he spied a familiar looking horse.

 

"Is that Epona?" Navi asked as she noticed as well. Link grinned and ran toward the dark red color mare. Epona reared up on her hind legs and pawed her front legs before running a few feet away, looking at Link's warily. Link frowned, Epona didn't seem to remember him at all and why should she after seven years. How could he get his friend to come to him? An idea lit up in his head and he took out his ocarina, gently playing the song Malon taught him.

 

Epona's ears perked up as she turned the tune, she hadn't heard it in a long time. The green clan man reminded her of the little boy that played the same song... maybe it was him! The horse neighed again and ran over to Link, nudging her nose under his hand, making him laugh as he stopped playing and started to gently stroke her nose.

 

"You do remember me," Link said with a smile. Epona nickered and swung her head around to look at her back. Link watched in confusion as Epona did it again.

 

"I think she wants you to get on," Navi said. Link's eyes lit up and he walked around to the mare's side. He wasn't sure how to get on at first but figured it out quickly, settling himself into the saddle. Epona took off, surprising Link who wasn't ready and fell off. The blond blushed, he could hear Ingo gawffing in the background, and got back up off the ground quickly. He climbed back onto Epona's back, this time hanging on as she took off.

 

Epona had no bridle so he learned to steer Epona with his knees while he clung one hand onto Epona's white mane. He whooped as Epona jumped over the practice fences in the corral, grinning as he had the time of his life.

 

"You're getting better!" Ingo said as Link rode past him. Link grinned and directed Epona over to the man. "Say, how about a little race with me? One lap around the corral with that horse?"

 

"Sure," Link said, petting Epona's neck fondly. Ingo smirked, leading Link and Epona out of the corral along with a brown horse before locking it again. They lined the horses up then Ingo gave a war cry as he kicked his heels into his horse and took off. "Heya!" Epona neighed and shot off, catching up and then passing Ingo's horse.

 

Ingo was close on Link and Epona's heels but Link still managed to win the race. Ingo jumped off the horse and stomped his feet, digging his hands into his hair.

 

"Shoot! If the great Zelda finds out about this humiliation..." Ingo whispered to himself, worrying about himself and what Zelda would think. He turned around and pointed a finger at Link. "Hey you! How about another race!"

 

"What do we get if we win?" Navi asked, flying up into his face.

 

"If you win you can... you can keep the horse!" Ingo yelled the first thing he could think of. It was just a random horse, it's not like it was the one he was training just for Zelda.

 

Ingo switched the brown horse out for a black one that was faster. He would not be humiliated again!

 

Once again the pair lined up at the starting line, Ingo giving another war cry, kicking Link in the leg then taking off, making the teen grunt in pain.

 

"Hey you cheater!" Navi yelled. Link growled and nudged his heels into Epona's flanks, who took off after the other horse. Ingo cackled, this time he was going to win!

 

"Come on you stupid horse, faster!" Ingo yelled, kicking the black stallion in the sides. He was almost at the finish line; he would make that little punk pay! At the last minute, Link raced past Ingo and over the finish line, winning the race.

 

Ingo jumped off the black horse, yelling and throwing a fit once again.

 

"Ahhhggg! What is up with that horse!?" Ingo yelled, pulling at his hair and looking over at Link. "Is that... is that Epona? How did you tame that wild horse right under my nose!!! I was going to present that horse to her majesty but I bet it on the race and lost! Shoot!!"

 

Ingo had to think fast, he couldn't let that punk leave with that horse. He couldn't let that punk leave at all! It would get out what happen and he would be humiliated! He calmed down, yes, the boy would stay.

 

"Heeheehee, as I promised, I'll give the horse to you," Ingo said, twirling his mustache again then ran over to the main gate of the ranch. "However, I'll never let you leave this ranch!" He yelled as he locked the gate up tight, laughing manically.

 

"Now what do we do?" Navi asked worriedly. Link looked around; the ranch was surrounded by tall wooden walls and the only way out was the gate that Ingo locked. He looked at the wooden walls again, getting an idea.

 

"Come on Epona," Link said nudging Epona with his knees. The horse nickered, seeming to know what Link wanted and took off, racing full tilt toward the nearest wall.

 

"Link... Link what are you doing!?" Navi asked as she flew off after them. As Link and Epona neared the wall, the mare took a leap and cleared over the top of the wall, landing in the field outside.

 

"WOOOO!" Link yelled, taking off his hat and waving it around.

 

****

 

 _No.... no that little punk couldn't have gotten out...._ This was the thought that ran through Ingo's head over and over again as he stared slack jawed at where Link had escaped with his horse.

 

 _'It will get out that I lost.... it will get back to the great Zelda....'_ Ingo thought over and over as he mindlessly walked, dragging his feet, toward the main house.

 

"Mr. Ingo?" Malon asked softly as the man passed her. Ingo didn't seem to hear her, his only thoughts was on what just happen. The keys that had been in his hand fell out of his limp grip to the grass and he went inside and up to his bed. He laid there for hours, his mind racing until it just seemed to crack and he gave one long scream into the night.

 

****

 

When the keys were dropped near her, Malon picked them up as Ingo disappeared into the house.

 

"I wonder what the matter with him is," Malon asked softly, looking down at the keys then at the gate. She smiled and ran over; this may be the only chance that the horses got to run around. The red headed Hylain unlocked main gate then the one to the corral, grinning as the horses neighed happily as they were able to run around freely. She even opened the barn, letting out the Cuccos and the cows, who clucked and mooed happily.

 

She did notice that her favorite horse Epona was gone.... and so was that man in green....

 

****

 

"Come on, let's go back and make sure Ingo gives the back the ranch to Talon and Malon," Link said, nudging Epona to go.

 

"I don't think we'll have to," Navi said, flying in front of Link to stop him. "Look, those dark clouds that were above the ranch, they're gone... I think whatever evil was there is gone now," Link turned and looked up as well, seeing the fairy was right. "Let’s go to the forest, we've detoured long enough."

 

Link nodded and turned Epona toward where the forest was, getting across Hyrule was a lot faster with a horse!

 

Link and Navi arrive around mid afternoon, Link stopping Epona just inside the tree line. He patted her neck and left her to graze as he headed for the tunnel that leads to the Kokiri Forest.

 

He paused at the lip of the wooden log, how much would have changed in his old village since he had been gone? Would any of the other Kokiris recognize him? Did a new Deku Tree ever spout?

 

"Come one Link," Navi said softly, nudging his shoulder. She was a bit frightened too; she grew up in the forest, she was afraid to see what happen to her home. Link took a deep breath and stepped inside. Up above, two pair of red eyes watched Link as he traveled into the woods.

 

"Is that him Brother?" The figure on the right asked the one on the left.

 

"Yes, that was Link," Sheik said softly. "I was almost afraid he wasn't going to come."

 

"Oh come on, you always gone on about how great of a Hero Link was going to be. You didn't really doubt him," The other boy said, poking his brother. Sheik chuckled and pushed back at his younger sibling. "So you think he'll awake the Forest Sage and get rid of all the monsters?"

 

"I know he will," Sheik said, looking over at Kain. "You’re just tired of having to go everyday and wipe out the creatures in the forest."

 

"I get tired of doing the kid stuff," Kain said with a pout. "You've got a big important mission helping Link, I feel like I'm not doing enough." Sheik chuckled and wrapped his hand around the back of Kain's neck, pressing his forehead against his brother's.

 

"You do plenty little brother," He assured the other Sheikah. "Go back to the village and tell the elders Link made it. I have to go meet him at the Forest Temple." Kain nodded, pulling up his face mask then hopped through the trees to get to the Sheikah village deep in the woods. Sheik watched the other leave then turned toward the direction of the Lost Woods and tree hopped to the Scared Meadow.

 

****

 

It was much worse than Link thought it would be. He looked around his old village heartbroken, the grasses around the tree houses were overgrown and there were several monsters as well. Mostly Deku-baba's but he could see a couple of Deku's as well.

 

"What's wrong with those dekus?" Link asked, watching one that spit a Deku nut at an Octorock in the pond at the other end of the village.

 

"Hmm," Navi turned to look at the Deku as well. Its leafy head was red instead of green and it cackled madly as it spit another nut. "It's a mad scrub; it's a normal Deku scrub that had gone insane."

 

"Where is everyone?" Link asked as he looked around again. All he could see were the monsters were the villagers even still alive.

 

"I don't know... but I sense life forms in the houses," Navi said, floating toward the house that belonged to the group known as the Know-It-All Brothers. "Let’s ask and see if everyone is alright." Link followed Navi to the house, pushing aside the curtain and ducking his head so it wouldn't hit the top of the door.

 

"Halt!"

"Who goes there?" Two of the four brothers yelled, one holding up a sling-shot pointed at Link while another held a Deku-stick in front of him. A third one stood nearby, holding his fists up.

 

"Wait brothers... that's not one of the monsters," The fourth and oldest brother said. Link looked relieved to see Alvin, Theodore, Simon, and Dave all alive and well. (1)

 

"Keewww? It is safe?" A soft voice asked, surprising Link as a Kikwi peeked its head out from behind a chair.

 

"Yeah... it's just some guy," Alvin said after a minute of studying Link.

 

"Why is that fairy following you around? And why are you dressed like a Kokiri?" Simon asked, stepping closer to Link. "You're not one of us!" Link felt like he had been punched in the gut, nobody here recognized him.

 

"No... I'm... from outside the forest," He finally said, trying to get over the lump in his throat.

 

"You didn't have any problems entering the forest, mister?" Theodore asked surprised, his hands on his hips. Link shook his head; he didn't have any problems at all.

 

"Did... did those monsters bother you?" The Kikwi asked, shivering in fright as it remembered what was outside.

 

"Before the Great Deku Tree died, you wouldn't see things like that around here," Alvin said, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the wall. "We have to stay inside since it's so dangerous but I'm bored to death in here!" His three brothers nodded in agreement.

 

"At least we have it better than some of the others," Dave pointed out. "They have to live with the animals in their houses to keep them safe."

 

"Animals?" Link asked, perking up. He remembered asking Impa if it was possible to get some Cuccos and maybe a cow to the village.

 

"Yeah, one of our own left the village a few years ago," Theodore explained. "He came back once with a little bird he called a Cucco. Once day a few weeks later, these strangers came with more animals, Cuccos, cows and goats. The leader of the group said that our fellow Kokiri asked for the animals to be brought to us."

 

"Hey mister, have you been travelling around much?" Simon asked. "Have you ever met a boy named Link?"

 

"Mido, he's sort of our leader, said that the Great Deku Tree withered because Link did something wrong to it," Alvin said.

 

"Yeah, but Saria defended Link... until she left," Dave pointed out. "Maybe we misunderstood? The fairies also said Link didn't have anything to do with the Great Deku Tree's death."

 

"And he's the one who got us those animals," Simon added.

 

"No... I haven't run into any other Kokiris outside the forest," Link finally said, his throat tight. No one recognized him here... he couldn't tell them that he was Link, they would never believe him. They all thought he was a Kokiri, not a Hylain so he shouldn’t have ever grown up. "So... what happen to this other Kokiri you said left? Saria?"

 

"Oh, an evil wind is blowing from the Lost Woods," Alvin said. "Saria left, saying 'I have to do something about it!'."

 

"She meant the Forest Temple," The timid Kikwi said. "It's on the other side of the Lost Woods, in the Sacred Forest Meadow." Link smiled sadly and thanked the four brothers and the Kikwi for their help. Link walked down the familiar dusty path toward his own tree house, slicing the head of an attacking Deku-baba off as it lunged at him, teeth snapping.

 

"How could so much change Navi?" Link asked softly, stopping at the ladder that lead up to his old home.

 

"Well... the Great Deku Tree used his powers to keep the forests free from monsters," Navi said as Link climbed the ladder and entered his home. Tears stung Link's eyes as he looked around. Nothing had been disturbed in the last seven years and everything had a coating of dust on it. "When he died... it would have easy for Zelda's forces to invade. They must have invaded the Kikwi's section of the forest for them to be here. I wonder what happen to the Parellas."

 

"Hopefully, they are safe in their lake," Link said as he sat down on his bed. There was a clucking noise behind him, making Link turned. In the window was a large Cucco, who had its breast thrust out as it looked at him. The bird jumped down onto the bed, hopping closer to Link then looked at Navi. Link studied the bird in turn, grinning after a moment. "Cluck?"

 

Cluck, who had grown into a large rooster over the years and had become the lead Cucco of village, gave a soft caw and climbed in his lap. He eyed Navi again, a hungry look in his eyes.

 

"I think he remembers you," Link said with a laugh as he petted his Cucco.

 

"Great," Navi muttered as she flew up to keep out of the birds reach.

 

"Looks like life has been good to you Cluck," Link said as he looked the large rooster over. The Cucco rooster clucked proudly, thrusting his chest out again. Link chuckled, scratching the bird's chest then sighing as he looked around his old home. It was strange to see it, it was seven years but other than all the dust it looked like he never left. "This is so strange Navi."

 

"I know, and it's terrible what happen to the forest," Navi agreed. "Look, let’s just stock up at the store and head out to the temple. We know where it is now." Link sighed again and nodded his head. He gave Cluck one last pat then got up, leaving his little house behind.

 

"Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before mister?" Allie, one of the blond Kokiri girls who always like to hang out around the store asked. Her hands were behind her back as she peered up at Link.

 

"Oohhh, where is Saria?" One of the other girls, Kelly, asked as she stood by the doorway, wringing her hands together. "Do you know Saria, Mister? And where has Mido gone during such an emergency?"

 

"He said he was going after Saria," Twig, her fairy partner, said.

 

"I'm sure they are both ok," Link said as he stocked up on a few things then left the store, heading for the entrance to the Lost Woods. Twig and the other two fairies in the store flew up above their parents.

 

"Was that... Navi?" Twig asked.

 

*********

 

The Lost Woods had changed very little in the last seven years. It was still dark and had that ability to make a person who didn't know where they were going to be all turned around. Link had learned how to navigate the woods when he was little, traveling with Saria whenever she decided to go to her special place. Both the Kokiris who were named Fado liked to come into the woods as well and as soon as Link was old enough to protect himself, Link traveled on his own. (2)

 

Link had thought with how much the outside world had changed since Zelda had become queen, the Lost Woods would have become more dangerous. The only thing that was different was the Skull Kids, a race of little mischievous wooden people, attacked him now. Nothing dangerous, but using hollow reeds to blow little rocks at him. They stung but they didn't really hurt him. As soon as Link got close to any of them, the Skull Kids would vanish with a high pitch laugh.

 

"Teh, just when I thought those Skull Kids couldn't get more annoying," Navi said. Link smiled slightly, Navi was usually posed and head strong when given a mission but somehow the child like Skull Kids got under her wings. The Kokiri raised Hylain and his fairy exited one of the many hallow logs in the Lost Woods on the path to the Scared Meadow, only to come to a halt as a familiar hot headed Kokiri jumped out, holding his hand out in front of him.

 

"Stop!" Mido yelled, looking up at Link. He frowned as he saw the teen in front of him was wearing clothing that looked like it belonged to the Kokiri and jumped to the conclusion that Link was some sort of spy. "What are you? Though you wear Kokiri clothing, you can't fool me!"

 

"Look, I'm not trying to fool anyone," Link said, resting one hand on his hip, striking Mido as a very familiar pose he had seen a long time ago on another boy he knew. "I'm just going to the Scared Meadow."

 

"No. I promised Saria I would never let anybody go through here," Mido said, shaking his head. He had pleaded with Saria to return to the village but the green hair girl was determine to go to the temple deep in the forest. She made Mido promise not to let anyone follow her unless they knew her.

 

"I've been there before, I need to go help Saria," Link said, almost pleading in his voice for Mido to believe him and work with him just this once.

 

"Prove it! Prove that you know Saria!" Mido demanded. Link frowned for a second, he couldn't tell Mido he was Link, he doubted the Kokiri would believe him and if Mido did, the red head wouldn't let him pass just to spite him. He got an idea and got the Ocarina of Time out, playing the song that Saria taught him. Saria had said only her friends were taught this song. Mido's mouth dropped open. "That melody... Saria plays that song all the time! You... you do know Saria."

 

Link nodded as he lowered the Ocarina and placed it back in his pouch.

 

"That song... Saria taught that song only to her friends..." Mido said softly, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the ground lost in thought. His head snapped up and he looked at Link again. "Ok, I trust you," He said with a nod, moving out of Link's way. Link smiled slightly and walked past Mido. He stopped short as he heard the Kokiri boy speak again. "When I see you I don't know why but I remember... _him_ ," Mido said softly. Link closed his eyes for a moment; maybe Mido did know it was him. This was the first time the red head didn't say anything negative to him. Link continued his was to the scared meadow, leaving Mido who just watched him with a thoughtful look on his face.

 

*****

 

Link slowly and carefully entered the Meadow, this place felt a lot different than the Lost Woods did, a lot more dangerous. He could feel the evil wind the Kokiri mentioned and he shivered slightly, the Hylain youth reached up behind him and drew his sword slowly.

 

"There is something wrong here," Link said as he narrowed his blue eyes, stepping further into the meadow. He heard a rustle of grass behind him, spinning and bringing his shield up in time to block a blow from a moblin's glaive. The monster was very pig like, giving a snorting like roar as it swung its weapon around on him again, Link black flipping out of range. (3)

 

"What is that?!" Link asked as he dodged another blow, rolling behind the moblin and stabbing the Master Sword into its rump.

 

"BEEWWWW!" The Moblin yelled, dropping its weapon and hopping around holding its rear end.

 

"It's a Moblin! Kill it before it gets its weapon back!" Navi yelled as Link leapt at the Moblin who snorted in surprise and swung a fist at Link. Link grunted as the first grazed his side, knocking him to the ground and rolling out of the way as the moblin brought its fist down again. The moblin looked around for its weapon and ran over to it once it was spotted.

 

"Brink?" The Moblin made a questioning noise when it couldn't see Link, looking around confused.

 

"Hey!" Link leapt and brought the Master Sword down on the Moblin's head, the body bursting into flames as the monster died. Link panted, holding his hand against his bruised side. "Farore that hurt."

 

"Are you ok Link?" Navi asked worriedly.

 

"Yeah..." Link said with a grunt of pain that had really hurt.

 

"Maybe we should stop at the fairy fountain on the way," Navi suggested. "Come on, I can heard sounds up ahead so be quite," she added in a whisper. The blond teen followed the fairy through the mini-maze toward the temple, glancing around the corner only to draw back quickly. A large brown monster with a bull-dog look to its face walked past Link and Navi, making grunting noises as it walked. It rounded the next corner and Link looked at Navi.

 

"What was that?" He asked softly.

 

"It was another moblin," Navi explained. Link blinked then looked back the way they just came.

 

"Wasn't that other thing a moblin? They don't look anything a like," He said.

 

"Two different branches of the same race," Navi explained, bobbing in the air slightly in a Fairy version of a shrug. "I'm kinda surprise to see both, they don't usually work together. Shh! It's coming back." Link knelt in the tall grass, hiding from view as the bull-dog moblin walked past again. Once it was past him, Link crept up behind the moblin and brought his sword down on its exposed back. The moblin gave a loud grunt of pain, falling forward to its knees where Link was able to cut off its head, the body burning up in a flash of fire.

 

Link wondered if he was going to keep running into these moblin things as he snuck around another corner, nearly getting impaled on the charging moblin's spear. Link yelped and leapt backwards back around the corner and hid out of sight.

 

"Errr?" The moblin looked around confused, scratching its head, wondering where Link had gone. It looked around again then seemed to shrug, going back to its patrol route. Navi watched, shaking her head then floated back down to Link's hiding spot.

 

"These things are stupid," She whispered. "I think the first one was smarter than these. I think as long as we're out of sight, we'll be ok." Link nodded, peaking around the corner and watched as the moblin looked around before going down another path. Link ran over to the ladder that lead to the top of the maze and climbed it, planning to visit the fairy fountain. "Holy Nayru! Look at the size of that one!!" Navi said in alarm. Link looked in the direction that Navi was, gulping as he saw the size of the moblin down the path that lead the temple. It was holding a giant club and looked a lot smarter than the smaller bull-dog looking moblins.

 

"It is not going to be fun fighting that thing," Link said with a shake of his head and jumped into the fairy fountain. The little pink lighted fairies flew over to Link, one of them quickly healing his wounds making the blond sigh in relief as the ache on his side went away.

 

"We know your mission hero," one of the fairies said. "If you have something for us to rest in, we can travel with you."

 

"... I have a couple of bottles," Link said, digging in his bag and taking the three bottles he collected as a kid. The group of healing fairies took a moment to decide who would go with Link and Navi, three of them separated from the group, letting Link place each in a bottle.

 

"Ok, let’s get this over with," Link said as he left the fountain and faced toward the path he needed. "Whoa!" The Hylain teen yelped as the moblin smashed its club on the ground, sending up a cloud of dust as it caused a shockwave, making the blond dive out of the way. The moblin grunted and sit the ground again, another shockwave Link's way. Link dove, weaved and dived his way up the path until he was able to jump past the giant moblin, twisting as he drew his sword and brought it down on the moblin's back.

 

The moblin yelled loudly in pain but was too big to turn in the narrow path they were on, giving Link the chance to swing and hack away until the Moblin took its last breath and fell over dead. Link placed the Master Sword back into its scabbard and went up the stairs that lead to the temple's outer courtyard, hoping that Saria would be sitting in her usual place. Link's shoulders slumped as he saw the tree stump was empty, Saria wasn't there.

 

"The flow of time is always cruel," Sheik said as he jumped down from a nearby tree. "Its speed seems different for each person but not one can change it."

 

"Sheik," Link said as he turned to face the other teen.

 

"Hero," Sheik said, his eyes seeming to playfully smile. "I was starting to think you got lost." Link chuckled softly.

 

"No, I didn't. I think Saria is the only one who knows the Lost Woods better than I do," Link said, glancing over at the stump again.

 

"You know, the one thing that doesn't change with time is the memory of younger days," Sheik said softly, laying his hand on Link's shoulder.

 

"To me, my younger days were only two days ago," Link said just as softly. Sheik squeezed his shoulder gently. "So, this is the temple I have to wake up the sage in?" Link asked, turning to face Sheik.

 

"Yes, and like promised, I will teach you the Minuet of Forest, it will return you here anytime," Sheik said, taking out a golden harp that he took from the castle seven years ago. Link closed his eyes and listened to Sheik play the tune beautifully, letting the magic behind the music fill him. As the last notes played, Link opened his eyes and grinned at Sheik. "Now you try."

 

Link brought the Ocarina of Time to his lips and repeated the song. Once Link played the last note, Sheik started to play again and this time the two friends played a duet. If Sheik playing the song by himself filled Link with the magic of the song, it was nothing like the feeling of magic that filled Link now. It was the feeling of the forest, surrounded by trees that had seen countless ages, of the clam green.... A feeling of home.

 

Link gasped softly as he stopped playing, his blue eyes looking into Sheik's amused red ones.

 

"That... was amazing," He said softly with awe. Sheik chuckled and nodded.

 

"When I learn the songs, I felt the magic as well, each song feels different for both of us," Sheik explained. "Now you will be able to return to your forest no matter where you are. I'll see you again Hero, I will lead the Kokiri boy out of the forest and back to the safety of your village." Link nodded and watched as Sheik stepped back, taking out a Deku nut. Sheik threw the nut onto the ground, making Link shield his sight from the flash of light while Sheik teleported away.

 

"Well.... let's tackle the Forest Temple," Navi said after a moment. "And awaken the Forest Sage." Link nodded and taking out the hookshot, he aimed it at the tree branch that hung above the top of the broken set of stairs that lead into the temple. The hook shot forward and sunk deep into the wood and anchor itself, the chain retracting and brining Link with it. Link looked up at the temple doorway then bravely made his way inside.

 

*******

Author note: I hoped to start the Forest Temple this chapter but it part went longer than I thought it would. I have a unique idea for the temple, or at least I never ran across the idea myself so I hope it’s unique.

(1) I couldn’t find any of the Kokiri names, if they have any, so I named them after Alvin and the Chipmunks. There are only three brothers in the house but it’s rumored that the Kokiri boy in the training ground is the fourth bother, that’s why there is four of them. I almost named them at the 3 Stooges.

 

(2) I’ve already established that Fado the Wind Sage from Wind Waker was in this storyline but the little blond Kokiri with the big pig-tails is also rumored to be named Fado. You can find her in the woods when you’re an adult and I figured Sage Fado would go to the forest as well.

 

(3) Think along the lines of the WW Moblins but in TOOT style. In the games the Moblins are either pig faced or bull-dog faced. In Link’s Awakening, you see both kinds so I always figured there are two branches of the Moblin race.

 

Edit 7-23-14: Fixed all the little spelling and grammar mistakes.


	10. Chapter 10

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

 

Chapter 10

 

Link slowly and carefully entered the temple, looking around warily. The temple seemed to be seeped in evil and darkness.

 

"This doesn't much look like a temple," Link absently remarked as he opened the door.

 

"I remember the Forest Temple always being here, but I can't remember much about it," Navi said. Link was right, it didn't much remind her of a temple, it was a large stone building, the only thing that reminded her of the forest were the vines and moss that was growing on the walls. A Skulltula dropped down from the ceiling, hissing at Link and Navi. Link hit the giant spider so it would spin around and brought his blade down on its exposed soft underbelly.

 

"Those are a lot easier than they were before," He said happily, it always took two hits to kill the Skulltula before.

 

"Well you’re bigger and stronger than before," Navi remarked as Link opened the door to a large chamber room. In the middle of the room was a platform surrounded by four torches, each with a different colored flame. "That platform must lead downstairs," Navi said. As Link nodded and stepped closer to the elevator platform, four high pitch laughs echoed in the chamber as four different Poes appeared, each by a torch.

 

These Poes were different from the Poes Link saw in the graveyard; they reminded him of the two Poe brothers Flat and Sharp. Each Poe cackled loudly as with a swipe of their torches they each stole a flame from the torches surrounding the elevator platform. As the last flame was stolen, the platform rumbled as it descended until the top was level with the floor, leaving no way for Link and Navi to get to the chamber below.

 

"Stop them!" Navi yelled as she realized what the Poes had done. Link leapt down and headed for the nearest Poe but they only cackled again as they disappeared in a flash of flames. "We'll have to go after them."

 

"Right," Link said, figuring that out for himself. He didn't have a clue where the Poes had gone to and selected a random door to enter. The pair found themselves in an inner court yard with a pond and a well nearby. Link hedged around the giant Deku-baba that was clacking its beak and look hungrily at Link. "Wow... this sorta reminds me of the inner court yard at the castle."

 

"It does a bit," Navi agreed.

 

*****

 

Link had climbed up vine covered walls and explored though hallways and rooms that surrounded the courtyards. The teen now found himself in what looked like a bedroom, a frame of a bed laid in the corner and a half destroyed wardrobe was along another wall. He looked around the room curious, seeing a cloth hanging on one of the walls he walked over and tugged it down.

 

Navi gasped softly, flying up.

 

"She looks like one of the Poes!" She said. It was a young Hylain woman sitting primly wearing a purple dress with a matching head piece with large red stones in the front. The woman in the painting hair was a white blond and eyes a dark blue, her hands clasped in her lap as she gave the painter a small smile. At the bottom of the painting was a small metal plaque that had the name 'Meg' written on it.

 

Under the painting was a desk which Link started to dig through. Inside he found a dairy which he opened to read. Most of the words were fading from the long years since it had been written but Link could still make out some passages.

 

 _'Today the manor construction has started. Father keeps going on and on about our soon to be new home. Father has always had a deep interest in the ancient temples of Hyrule but I cannot help but think this idea of his to build the manor over the ruins of the Forest Temple is madness.'_ A spidery handwriting graced the paper as Link read. _'I've heard stories about the woods that the temple is located; people have been known to become lost and never seen again.'_

 

 _'Another builder has disappeared with in the forest but Father refuses to believe the stories, calling them nothing but silly superstitions. I am afraid for my sisters and I lives but Father refuses to listen to us. Even Mother is uneasy but like us sh....'_ The rest of the words were unreadable. Link put the dairy down and looked at Navi.

 

"Those poor girls," Navi said. "They must had died here and are Poes now." Link placed the dairy back into the desk, knocking some other papers aside.

 

"Hey look, a key," he said as he dug out the key found.

 

"Well take it; I'm sure we'll find a door that needs to be unlocked," Navi said, watching as Link tucked it into his pouch then headed for the balcony of the room to leave.

 

*******

 

Link slowly walked through the hallways, he swore he was being watched but for the life of him he couldn't find the source.

 

"There is something evil here," Navi said softly. He opened one of the many doors in the temple/mansion into a hallway stairwell. "Hey look, it's another painting!" the fairy said as she flew toward a painting on the far wall. This was another young woman wearing a red dress and her reddish blond hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Like with Meg's painting, this one had a name as well - Joelle.

 

Link turned to the stairwell by the painting, looking up as he heard a laugh.

 

"There's another one," Navi said surprised at seeing the second painting hanging above the stairs. "It's the same as the other one, I wonder why... Link... I sense something from these paintings" Navi told her partner. Link walked down the rest of the stairs, seeing a door ahead. "Link, it's another one! This one is different!"

 

Link turned to see what she meant, seeing that this painting was of one of the Poes from before. But before their eyes, a cackling laugh came from the painting and changed to look like the other two. Navi flew back up the stairs, calling back down.

 

"The Poe sister is haunting the paintings! The one on the wall has changed," Navi quickly came flying back. "We have to find away to get her out of the painting so we can get that flame back." Link ran back up the stairs but as he neared the painting, a laugh came again as it changed from Poe to the young woman. Link turned to look the matching painting above the stairs; it now held the Poe but when teen came near it, it changed again as the laughing Poe sister jumped to another painting.

 

"It's no use, every time I get close she moves to another painting," Link said as he reached the bottom of the stairs again, looking at the painting on the wall.

 

"Well... we'll have to look for something that we can use then," Navi said. Link nodded and entered the door that lead out of the room.

 

The next room was a round chamber with a large pit in the middle of the floor. Along the walls were old tables filled with papers, a couple of cabinets filled with stuff and different items hanging on the wall. Link walked to the middle of the room, looking down into a room he had been in before.

 

"Look out!" Navi yelled as the same time Link heard a deep evil laugh. He twisted and dodged out of the way in time to avoid a blow from a Stalfos. He had battled two of these skeletal monsters in the room below.

 

"Hey!" Link drew the Master Sword, paring another blow. He swung at the Stalfos's middle but was blocked by the monsters own shield. Link and the Stalfos traded blow after blow, the teen now have a few shallow cuts on his arms and at least one of his face from a glancing blow. But Link got his hits in as well and with another yell, Link drove the sword that was evil's bane through the middle of the Stalfos which collapsed to the ground in a pile of bones only to burn to ash in a flash of fire.

 

Link panted softly, reaching up to wipe the sweat and blood off his face. He heard a noise behind him, turning around in time to watch a platform lower from the ceiling and cover the pit in the middle of the floor. On top of the platform was two more Stalfoses. The two skeletal creatures jumped at Link who brought up his shield to block the blows. He grunted and buckled slightly under the weight from the double attack. The blond reached into his pouch to grab a Deku nut and threw it to the floor. The two Stalfoses were stunned long enough for Link to roll away.

 

Link traded blow after blow with both Stalfoses, dodging a swipe of one sword only to get hit by the other one. He finally knocked one Stalfos down only to be hit from behind, thrown into a display cabinet.

 

"Ahugg," Link groaned as he sat up. He had pieces of glass sticking out of his arm and he hissed as he pulled a large shard out.

 

"Look out!" Navi yelled in alarm, making Link look up then roll out of the way, a wickedly curved blade landing where he had been lying.

 

"Damn," Link hissed under his breath, he was in pain from the glass shard in his arm, the cuts littering his skin and his whole body bruised. "I need to end this quick." The Stalfos laughed evilly again and swung its sword, catching the Master Sword and knocking it from Link's pain weakened grip. Link cursed and looked around. On the wall was a bow, he ran toward it, taking it down and grabbing an arrow from the quiver hanging underneath where the bow had been. Link notched the arrow and drew the string back, pointing it at the Stalfos's head. The arrow flew true and landed deep in the monster's eye, knocking its skull clean from its neck. The rest of the Stalfos collapsed to the ground.

 

Link grabbed the Master Sword from where it had been landed when knocked from his hands and walked toward the skull that was still hopping around with the arrow sticking out of its eye socket. With a loud yell, Link brought his blade down on the skull, cleaving it in two. The skull and the rest of the body burned in yet another flash of fire as did the other Stalfos body.

 

"Damn... that hurt," Link said as he sat down against the wall, pulling out the shards of glass from his arm.

 

"Maybe you should have one of the healing fairies help you," Navi suggested a Link pulled shard after shard out of his arm.

 

Link sighed and nodded, he didn't want to waste the fairies but he had nothing to wrap his bloody arm up in, not to mention he hurt all over. The healing fairy was released from one of the bottles, the small pink fairy flying around Link as it healed his wounds before fading away once its magic was used up. Now healed, Link stood and placed the Master Sword and his shield on his back then picked up the bow he used. Navi gasped and flew closer to look at the bow.

 

"Link... that's the Fairy Bow!" She said, bobbing excitedly. "That bow was created by the Fairy Queen Venus, it's been missing for years." (1)

 

"Really?" Link asked as he held up the bow in front of him.

 

"We should take it with us," Navi said. "It will be useful." Link nodded, placing the bow in his magic pouch then taking the quiver off the wall, placing it so it was laying across the small of his back so he could draw an arrow in a hurry. "Hey... maybe we can use the arrows to hit those paintings from a far, force Joelle out of her paintings!"

 

As Link exited the chamber into the stairwell hallway that Joelle haunted, the blond noticed that the painting across from the door contained the Poe Joelle. He whipped out the Fairy Bow and shot an arrow into the painting. The Poe laughed as the painting disappeared in a flash of flames.

 

"Alright, it worked!" Navi said excitedly. "Now let’s go get the other two." Link walked up the stairs slowly, another arrow notched in the bow. When he reached half way up the stairs, he sat Joelle was haunting the painting at the top. The arrow flew true and destroyed the painting; with nowhere else to hide another arrow flew into the third and last painting. Joelle quickly flew to the bottom of the stairs where Link followed her.

 

"You're not going to get me that easily!" Joelle yelled, her voice high pitched and raspy. She came flying at Link, trying to hit the Hylain teen with the torch she held. The attack was blocked and Link swung the Master Sword around, cutting the Poe in half. Joelle made a death scream before flashing out of sight for good, her torch falling to the ground. The torch busted up when it hit the stone floor, the red flame escaping and floating over to a tall golden torch in the room. Also, a piece of paper floated through the air where Joelle had been. Link leaned over and picked it up, it was another diary page, this time written in a childish handwriting. And like Meg's dairy pages, part of the words were faded and unreadable.

 

 _'..day we moved into the big house that Daddy built in the woods. It's very pretty but at the same time I can't help but feel like we shouldn't be he... Daddy is very excited that he can start studying the legends around the old temple that use to be here. He wants to find and study the Kokiri, Kikwis and Deku tribes. Keeps going on and on about how one of them could be the `Forest sage`. My sis.......ving here, Meg thinks we should return to Hyrule Castle Town. Mom agrees with her but Daddy keeps saying that we'll be fine,'_ Link read, he wondered how long this manor house had been here, he never remembered anybody coming into the forest to 'study' any of the forest races nor had he heard anything like it from anyone.

 

"hmm... I vaguely remember that, but it was a long, long time ago," Navi said when asked. "There was a rumor going around that someone was wondering the woods looking for the Kokiri Forest but the Great Deku Tree kept it hidden. After awhile, I stop hearing about it." Link looked down at the page again then put it in his pouch.

 

******

 

Link had taken his new bow and used it to set off traps and eye targets he couldn't reach before, wondering why a manor house needed all these things. Soon, he made his way back down the hallway Joelle had haunted and entered the chamber where he found the bow.

 

"Do you think any of these have anything these Poe sisters father was working on?" Link asked as he picked up some of the scattered pages off the floor. A lot of them were water damaged and the few he could read, the writings made no sense.

 

"I don't know, but those don't look like they were written by a sane man," Navi pointed out as she read the papers over Link's shoulder. "I wonder about what happen to the family here, and why those girls are Poes. It must have been something terrible." Link put the paper back down on a table and left the chamber by the other door in the room. Across the room was yet another painting, this time a young woman wearing a blue dress and a blue hat on top of her head. At the bottom of the painting was the name 'Beth'.

 

"I bet it's just like before, let’s see if the other two paintings have a Poe instead of a girl," Navi said. Link walked up the stairs slowly and sure enough the painting at the top level contained the Poe. An arrow took out that painting and after moving to the top of the stairs, a second arrow took care of the next painting. Link ran back down the steps to the last painting which contained the Poe. A third arrow forced the Poe Sister Beth into the open.

 

"You! You killed my sister!" Beth rasped angrily. "I will kill you for this mortal!"

 

Like Joelle, Beth started to spin rapidly toward Link meaning to hit him with the torch she carried. Link dodged out of the way and waited for Beth to stop. Once she did, her back was to Link who jumped up and brought his blade down on her back. Beth's rage made her a little stronger than her sister and was able to just barely survive the attack. She spun around and started swinging her torch at Link who blocked each his with his shield.

 

"Die!" Beth yelled as she came in for one last hit. Link took the opening she gave him and slashed upward, ending Beth's undead life once and for all. The Poe disappeared in a flash, the torch falling to the ground and breaking into pieces. The blue fire that had been captured by Beth floated over to the tall torch by the door while another dairy page floated to the floor. Beth's handwriting has been a flowing, loopy cursive when she was alive.

 

_'Father had been acting strange lately, every day he goes out into the woods claiming that he is searching for a fairy child or something of the like. Yesterday, he came home with a strange bow, he insists that a fairy queen gave it to him. Mother has been becoming paler as well, I think something does not agree with her in the forest but Father refuses to let Mother leave to see a healer. I am worried... what is happening to our father and what will become of mother if she does not seek help?'_

 

"I wonder just how their Father managed to get the Fairy Bow from Queen Venus," Navi wondered as Link stored away the page with the first. "I can't imagine her just giving it to any moral human."

 

"Maybe she thought it could save his life," Link suggested as they made their way up the stairs to leave the hallway.

 

"Maybe..." Navi agreed softly, but she wondered if the Queen knew that one day the bow would be needed by a hero.

 

******

 

Link looked around as he opened the door; he had come across what looked like an old dining room. There was a long, dusty table in the middle of the room surrounded by chairs that were either broken or overturned. On the table were several plates and goblets, some were broken and a few others had bits of old bones lying on top of them. Any other food that was on the plates was long gone.

 

On the wall on the other side of the table was a large curtain that was closed. Link looked at it with curiosity.

 

"What do you think is behind that curtain?" He asked. Navi floated closer to the curtain, using to magic to feel it out.

 

"I don't know but I sense the same type of evil presence that I felt from Joelle and Beth," She said after a minute.

 

"So the next poe sister should be here then," Link guessed as he walked around the table to the curtain. He grasped the rope hanging to the side and tugged it, drawing the curtain open. Link stepped back to look at the painting, this was much bigger than all the others. And unlike the others, it wasn't just a painting of a young Hylain woman.

 

It was a landscape of a forest area, trees and bushes surrounding a young woman sitting on a tree stump. The girl in the painting was wearing a flowing green dress with a hood that was drawn up over her head. At the top of the hood, flowing locks of blond hair was pulled through a hole and she held a delicate looking flower between long fingers, appearing to take in the flower's scent with a mischievous smile. At the bottom of the painting was the name 'Amy'.

 

"How do we get the poe to come out?" Link asked.

 

"I guess try shooting the painting with an arrow, it worked with the other paintings," Navi suggested. Link shrugged, he didn't have any other better ideas, and withdrew an arrow from the quiver on his back. He drew back the string on his bow aiming for the painting version of Amy. The arrow landed with a **thunk,** the end swaying side to side. The Amy in the painting smile twisted into a sneer and Link turned as something landed on the table with a loud thumping noise, several of the old plates and goblets knocked over.

 

"You have a minute to solve my puzzle mortal, or you life is forfeit," A high pitch voice echoed throughout the room, ending with a loud pitch laugh. Link walked over to the table, on top of it was pieces of a puzzle much like the ones he use to play with back in the Kokiri village. He needed to put the pieces together to create a shape and he only had a moment to do so.

 

"Hurry up Link," Navi hissed while Link looked over the pieces to see what fitted where.

 

"Ah ha!" Link said, he was always good at puzzles and he quickly fitting all the pieces together. When he was done, the pieces made the image of the Poe sister Amy. Link spun around as the laugh from before rung out in the room, the painting fading away and leaving Amy in its place.

 

"Very good mortal, you manage to solve the puzzle," Amy said, floating toward Link. "But your life is still mine!" She lunged at Link who dodged out of the way. This Poe acted smarter than her two previous sisters, she kept the table between her and Link the whole time so he could not hit her with the Master Sword. Link drew the Fairy Bow and show an arrow at Amy which she deflected with the torch she held.

 

"Try again Link!" Navi said. Another arrow was drawn from the quiver and shot at Amy who once again knocked the arrow away but missed the arrow that followed it. The Poe gave a cackling laugh as she faded from view, the torch the stolen green flame the only thing visible.

 

"You can't hit what you can't see," Amy taunted. Link cursed softly, Poes were invincible once it was invisible, and he couldn't hurt Amy until she showed herself again. The torch started to spin in the air toward Link as the green Poe sister started her attack. Link jumped out of the way and landing on top of the table in the process, knocking goblets and plates off the surface. The blond notched another arrow into his bow, aiming at the floating torch. Soon the air around the torch shimmered as Amy faded back into view, as soon as she was visible again Link shot the arrow into the Poe. A second then third arrow followed, Link did not want to give Amy the chance to turn invisible again.

 

Finally, a fourth arrow hit Amy who gave her final death scream as she flashed away, torch falling and breaking like the others. The green flame returned to the torch by the second door in the room while yet another diary page float down to the floor. Link picked it up to look at it, Amy's handwriting was a bit like Cucco scratch but he could still make out some of the words.

 

 _'Dear diary today was Mother's funeral. It was only me and my sisters there, our father didn't even attend. Maybe he is ashamed, it's his fault Mother was never able to leave this cursed home of ours to see a healer. Whatever it was that killed Mother, I'm afraid it is starting to affect the rest of us as well,'_ Amy had written _'.... Beth is looking really pale today while Joelle is bed ridden. Even I am started to feel unwell, I can't even muster up the energy to play with my puzzles. Meg is trying to take care of all of us like Mother did, the few servants we had have either run away or the forest has taken them. .... We haven’t seen Father in two days now, has the forest finally taken his life as well?'_

 

"Oh those poor girls," Navi said as she read over Link's shoulder.

 

"What was killing them?" Link asked as he tucked the page away.

 

"Something in the forest I guess," Navi said. "There are a lot of dangerous things in the Lost Woods and there have always been stories of outsiders not under the protection of the Great Deku Tree or the Light Spirit Faron who turned into monsters."

 

"Hmm," Link heard those stories as well, Saria use to tell them to him.

 

"Let’s go find that last Poe," Navi said, flying toward the door with Link following her.

 

********

 

"I don't get it, where is she?" Link asked, he and Navi had explored every room looking for the Poe Sister Meg. They even went back to her bedroom where her painting had been, thinking that it might be the same as the others. But Navi hadn't sense anything from the painting and even an arrow shot into the canvas had done nothing.

 

"She has to be somewhere," Navi said as they reentered the large chamber that contained the elevator platform. Link looked over at the area, three of the four torches were relit, and they just needed the purple flame to be able to continue. "Do you hear that?" Navi whispered. Link stopped and listened, he could ear crying. Stepping around so he could see, he and Navi found Meg 'sitting' in the middle of the floor, her hands over her eyes as she cried in grief. Link drew his sword as he came closer, one good swing should take care of the Poe.

 

"You killed them," Meg said between her sobbing. "Joelle.... Beth.... Amy.... my sisters... You killed them you heartless bastard!" The Poe shot up into the air in front of Link. "I will kill you for this!" Right before him, Meg split herself into four copies.

 

"Link, I can't tell which one is the real Meg!" Navi said. Link watched the Poes as they circled around him. He couldn't get close enough to hit any of them with his sword. Instead he withdrew the Fairy Bow and took aim. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the Megs act differently from the other three and turned, shooting the arrow into her. Meg yelped in pain and disappeared, only to reappear as four copies again. All four Megs swung their torches at Link, who dodged as best he could but still was hit by at least once torch. He watched, waiting for one of the Megs to act different and when she did, another arrow hit the real Meg.

 

This went on a few more times, Link gaining bruises and burns from the Meg copies and their torches but at last, the last arrow went flying into Meg who screamed as she was gone in a flash. The last flame floated to the last torch, the elevator platform rising with a loud rumble. And floating down was one last dairy page, written in Meg's spidery handwriting from the original book.

 

 _'My last sister was buried in the crypt today. I fear I will join them soon though who will bury me?'_ Meg had written. _'....Father returned yesterday, his eyes had this crazed look in them. He had a large locking chain placed on the door to Mother's resting place, muttering things under his breath. Things that I cannot understand, I believe his time alone in the woods has driven him mad.'_

 

 _'I am alone....'_ this was the last thing Meg ever written, no more words on sheet of paper.

 

*****

 

Link looked around as the platform descended into the chamber below; it was roundish with 4 doorways branching off and a hallway on one end. The floor was made of marble and was alternation white, blue and red. Above each doorway were the names of the Poe sisters carved in stone: Joelle, Beth, Amy, and Meg.

 

"We're in the crypt," Navi said, flying around slowly. She hovered by the door with Meg's name, looking at the stone coffin. "I guess her father buried her after she died." Link looked at each name, touching his pouch on his side briefly then started taking out the four dairy pages.

 

"What are you doing?" Navi asked as Link passed her to enter the small room where Meg's body had been put to rest.

 

"I don't feel right keeping these pages," Link said, placing a page on top of the coffin gently. Navi stayed quiet and watched as Link walked to each coffin and placed a page on top of it. When he was done, the blond stood in the middle of the chamber and gave a short pray to Farore, his hands clasped in front of him.

 

"Alright, let’s see about awaking the sage," Link said once he was done, heading for the hallway that had the symbol he saw outside the temple above it. At the end of the hall was a large door covered in chains and a large golden lock.

 

"What could possibility need a lock like this?" Link asked, touching the lock.

 

"The father put this lock on here remember? Meg wrote about it in her dairy," Navi said. "I... sense something behind this door..."

 

"Guess the only way to find out is to unlock it," Link look a large golden key with a ruby in the handle out of his pouch, it matched the design on the lock. The key was inserted and turned, making the chains clank and clang as the lock came off causing the chains to slacken. Link pushed on the door and entered the next room slowly.

 

*******

 

Link walked up the raised platform that was surrounded by a gated looking wall. Along the walls stood many different paintings, at least four of them of the past human forms of the Poe sisters. Others were land scrapes and one was of a Hylain couple, a stern looking man wearing glasses and pressed shirt and jacket. In front of him was a blond woman wearing a white dress, the man's hand was resting on her shoulder and her hand was resting on top of his.

 

In the middle of the platform was a large stone coffin, Link walked around it but saw nothing of interest.

 

"There is nothing here," Navi said with a frown. "But I feel an air of evil here..."

 

"Maybe there is something under the platform," Link suggested, heading for the gap in the wall by the stairs that lead up the platform. As the blond neared the gap, a spiked gate popped up blocking his way. The teen spun around as something started to bang behind him, the lid of the coffin rattling violently. Finally, with unearthly scream, the whole stone coffin burst apart, Link blocking most of the flying pieces with his shield. As he peeked over the top of his shield, he gasped; floating in the air was a ghostly looking woman.

 

It was the woman from the painting, the mother of the Poe sisters. She was pale and hauntingly beautiful, her white dress and her hair floating around her as if caught in a wind. She stared down at Link before her face morphed into a gaunt monsterly form as she opened her fang filled mouth and gave an unearthly scream.

 

 **"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!"** Link grunted and cringed, the scream was like the ones that the ReDead made and froze him to the core.

 

 **"LINK!"** Navi yelled over the screaming. **"SHE'S A BANSHEE! YOU HAVE TO STOP HER SCREAMING!"**

 

Link grunt softly as he reached into his pouch to grab the fairy bow and notch an arrow in it. He aimed at the Banshee and shot the arrow into her, cutting off her screams. Link's ears were still ringing as the sounds stopped, the Banshee's face twisted into an ugly sneer as she floated around the platform, Link turning to keep her in his sight at all time. The Banshee reared back her hand, a ball of energy gathering in her palm until it formed a glowing ball. With a scream she lobed it at Link who put the bow over his shoulders and whipped out the Master Sword in time to hit the ball of energy. To Link's surprise the ball of energy was knocked back at the Banshee who looked just as surprised as Link before it hit her.

 

Link ran at the stunned Banshee, jumping at her with a yell as he brought the Master Sword down on her, creating cuts in her skin. With a yell the Banshee seemed to regain herself as with a burst of power she knocked Link back and returned to the air. She opened her mouth to scream again, Link cutting her off with another arrow before she could utter a sound. Once again she gathered another ball of energy and threw it at the Elvin hero and when Link hit it back at her, she was ready this time and smacked the energy ball back at Link.

 

The energy ball traveled back and forth between the Banshee and Link, the ball traveling faster and faster as it was smacked until with a yell Link hit it a final time, sending it back at the Banshee. The Banshee was too slow and the ball slammed into her, sending the ghostly woman crashing to the ground with a scream. Link ran up to the Banshee, hacking and slashing at her form until with a final scream she started to dissolve and break apart.

 

"Well, well. You did quite well," A woman's voice said out of nowhere, Link looking around for the source. The voice sounded familiar and after a few seconds Link realized it was Zelda. "It looks like you might be gaining some slight skill. But do not think it will always be this easy."

 

The Banshee's body started to float up into the air as a portal appeared in the ceiling. As the Banshee neared it, she started to scream loudly and struggle as it drew her in.

 

"What a worthless creation that ghost was! I shall banish it to the gap between dimensions!" Zelda's voice declared loudly as the Banshee was drawn full into the portal, the portal and the ghost disappearing in a flash of light.

 

"Zelda created that thing?" Link asked softly, his voice echoing within the chamber.

 

"It makes sense," Navi said. "She's the one who filled the temples with evil; the monster is the center source of the evil. The temple feels clean now the Sage will be able to awaken. Still I'm confused a bit, Meg's dairy page said her father was the one who placed the lock on the door, I wonder why?"

 

"Who knows, by that time he was crazy right?" Link said placing his sword back into his scabbard as a glowing blue portal appeared on the floor.

 

"I guess," Navi said as she followed her charge over to the portal. "We'll never really know." As Link stepped into the portal with Navi hovering over his shoulder; he was surrounded by a blue crystal and teleported out of the room. As he disappeared, a faint outline of a woman floated out of the painting of the Poe sister's parents. A soft smile graced her face and she held out her hand. One by one Meg, Joelle, Beth and Amy joined their mother, no longer Poes but ghostly images of their forms from when they were alive. Their mother looked over where Link had been, her eyes twinkling.

 

"Thanks you Hero," A faint voice said as all five faded away, passing on to the next plain of life.

 

******

 

Link and Navi reappeared in the Chamber of the Sages. The blond looked around, the Light Sage Rauru didn't seem to be there nor did anyone else. As he turned toward the area that contained the symbol of the Forest Sage, it started to glow with a green light as a familiar child like figure rose up.

 

"Saria..." Link said softly.

 

"Link, thank you," Saria said in her sweet voice. "Because of you, I could awaken as a Sage. I am Saria, the Sage of the Forest Temple."

 

"Oh Saria... somehow I knew you would be the sage," Link said softly, kneeling down so he was eye level with his oldest and best friend.

 

"I always believed you would come, because I know you," Saria said with a sad smile. Link opened his mouth to explain, Saria holding up her hand to stop him. "No, you don't have to explain it to me, because it is destiny that you and I can't live in the same world."

 

"What do you mean?" Link asked with a frown.

 

"I will stay here as the Forest Sage and help you," Saria explained. "As an awakened Sage, I am needed here now. Now please... take this Medallion." She held out her hands which glowed and a small green medallion with the forest sage symbol on one side and the Triforce on the other appeared. She pressed it into Link's hands then threw her arms around him. "I will always be your friend," Saria whispered in his ear then stepped back. Link had a few tears in his eyes as he stood back up, clutching the medallion close to his chest. Saria gave him one last smile as he was teleported away from the chamber.

 

"Goodbye Link," Saria said as he disappeared.

 

"You two will always be connected Saria," Fado said as he appeared in a flash of light green light. "And perhaps when there is peace in Hyrule again, we will be able to return to our beloved forest."

 

"I know," Saria said as she turned to her fellow Kokiri sage. "It's hard leaving everyone behind. I even had to leave behind Dits and I helped raised Link since his mother brought him into the forest."

 

"It's hard," Fado agreed. "I have to leave Oak behind as well every time I leave for my temple. But Link has the spirit of the Hero; he will defeat Zelda and bring peace to Hyrule. Already our forest is returning to normal Saria, thanks to your magic as a sage. A new Deku Tree can grow now."

 

"Thanks to Link as well," Saria said with a smile. "And thank you Fado, I guess I needed that pep-talk. I wonder if I can restore the Forest Temple back to what it once was."

 

"You never know," Fado said with a chuckle. Saria smiled again and with a flash of green and light green both Kokiris disappeared back to the Forest and Wind Temples.

 

*********

 

While Link was in the Forest Temple, Sheik hopped from tree limb to limb as he looked for the Kokiri boy. A flash of red out of the corner of his eye caught his attention; Mido was slowly walking back in the direction of the Kokiri Forest. The Kokiri's arms were crossed over his chest and he was looking down at his feet as he walked, deep in thought. Sheik started to follow him, wanting to make sure the eternal child made it back to his village safely.

 

"Grunt.... Oink...." Sheik looked around, he was sure he just heard something.... "Bwwweee!" A large piggish Moblin leapt out of a bush, glaive banished high above his head ready strike. Mido who had not been paying attention to his surroundings gave a loud frightened yell as he stumbled back in surprise. The red headed Kokiri boy tripped over a tree root, crashing to the ground. The Moblin roared as he swung his weapon down toward Mido, Sheik having to act fast as he jumped to the ground in front of Mido and throwing a group of throwing needles into the Moblin's face.

 

The Moblin gave a pained cry, holding his hands over his face where the needles were sticking out. Sheik quickly got his whip out from the holder on the small of his back and cracked it at the monster, the end wrapping around the shaft of its weapon and with a yank it flew out of the Moblin's grip into Sheik's. The shadow elf was a bit unfamiliar with this type of weapon but he was still able to bring it around and thrust it into the Moblin's neck. Mido watched with wide eyes as Sheik dispatched the Moblin and it disappeared in a flash of fire.

 

"What... who..." Mido asked, still freaked out a bit by his near death experience. Sheik tossed away the ex-Moblin's weapon away and re-coiled his whip as he turned to the Kokiri behind him.

 

"You need to pay attention, traveling in these woods is dangerous," Sheik said as he placed his whip back into its holder and reached down to help Mido up. "You need to return to your village, you will be safer there."

 

"That's where I'm trying to go," Mido said as he brushed dirt and grass off of his backside. Sheik reached down and grabbed Mido who yelled as he leapt up into the tress to head for the Kokiri village. "Hey! Put me down! I can walk!"

 

Sheik smirked behind his face mask, he remembered the stories that Link told him when they were kids and how this red headed boy was bully to him. So it felt good to get back at the boy for his friend while also keeping the Kokiri safe. Soon Sheik and Mido were back at the village, Sheik using his whip and needles to kill off Deku-babas as he landed before finally letting the complaining Mido down.

 

"I could have made it back myself," Mido said with a huff.

 

"Maybe, but Moblins like to travel in packs. It was safer just to bring you back here myself," Sheik said. Mido looked up at Sheik for a moment before nodding and quickly heading for his home. Sheik watched him then jumped back into the trees to wait for Link to return. He was joined by Kain and a couple of other young Sheikah trainees a few hours later, the younger shadow elves there to clean out the village of monsters. As the four Sheikah talked softly and kept watch over the Kokiri Village, they all felt and saw a wave of green energy as it spread out over the village, coming from direction of the temple.

 

"What was that?!" Kain asked. Sheik smiled, turning to his brother.

 

"Don't you feel it, little brother?" He said. "Link did it, he reawakened the Forest Sage, and the temple is clean now." Kain and the other two Sheikah youths whispered excitedly, already there was a blow against the evil dark queen Zelda.

 

********

 

Link and Navi were teleported to the Great Deku Tree Grove. Link felt his chest tighten as he looked up at husk of the only father figure he and Kokiri had ever known. Brown leaves were still falling from the crown of the top of the tree, Link could see 'bald' spots where all of the leaves had fallen off, and the trunk of the Deku Tree was a gray color. Somehow the 'mouth' of the Deku Tree had closed, Link remembered that it had been open when he left the tree seven years ago.

 

"What's that?" Navi asked as she noticed something odd at the base of the Great Deku Tree in a patch of sunlight. Link noticed as well, walking over and kneeling in front of the spot. It was a little tree sap, its tiny green leaves twitching every now and then. Curious, Link reached out to touch the tiny sapping.

 

As his fingers brushed one of the leaves, the sapping shook for second before a whole little tree popped out of the ground sending dirt, grass and Link flying.

 

"AHH!" Link yelled as he knocked back, quickly sitting up to look at the tree sprout with surprise.

 

"Howdy! I'm the Deku Tree Sprout!" The tiny Deku Tree said with a slight country accent. (2)

 

"Deku Tree Sprout?" Link repeated as he stood and walked back over to the tree.

 

"Yep, because you and Saria broke the curse on the Forest Temple, I can finally grow and flourish! Thanks a lot!" The Deku sprout said happily.

 

"Oh... um... you're welcome," Link said while Navi bounced in the air excitedly. A new Deku Tree! The forest was finally healing!

 

"Hey, have you seen your old friends?" The Deku tree asked. Link nodded his head; he had visited a few of the Kokiri before heading for the temple. "None of them recognized you with your grown-up body, did they?"

 

"No," Link said with a sigh and a sad shake of his head.

 

"That's because the Kokiri never grow up! Even after seven years, they're still kids!" The Deku tree explained. "You must be wondering why only you have grown up!"

 

"Part of me does, but I think I know the answer. I pieced it together since I left the forest 7 years ago," Link said. "I'm not a Kokiri."

 

"That's correct, you are actually a Hylain!" The tree agreed.

 

".... How did I come to live with the Kokiri if I'm a Hylain?" Link asked softly. "I know outsiders don't usually find this forest."

 

"Well, let me explain," The Deku sprout said. "Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce was in our world. All of the outsider’s fought in this war while us forest dwellers and the Minish stayed out of it. One day, to escape the fires of the war, a young Hylain mother and her baby boy entered this forbidden forest. My predecessor allowed the mother and her child into the forest."

 

"Why?" Link asked curious.

 

"The mother was gravely injured," The Deku tree admitted. "She was dying. Her only choice was to entrust the child to the pervious Deku Tree, one of the guardians of the forest. He could sense that this was a child of destiny, whose fate would affect the entire world. So he took the child, you Link, into the forest. Not long after, your mother passed away from her wounds and you were raised as a Kokiri. And now, finally, the day of destiny has come! You are a Hylain and were always bound to leave this forest."

 

"What happens after I free all of the temples?" Link asked. "And Zelda is defeated."

 

"You are always welcome into the forest Link, though you are a Hylain you are still a child of the forest," The Deku Tree sprout assured the teen. "You're a little big to live with the Kokiris but you can still make your home within all parts of Faron's woods. Now, go break the curses on all the temples!"

 

Link nodded and turned to leave the grove. The tiny Deku tree watched him and Navi as they left, the boy had grown into a fine young man.

 

********

 

Mido was leaning up against the wall outside of the pathway that led to the Deku Tree Grove. He was watching his fellow villagers who were all extremely happy to finally be able to go outside safely. All of the monsters in their home were gone. Even all of the animals in the village were out, enjoying their time in the sun. The couple of cows and the goat were currently munching on the tall grasses that had grown outside of the tree houses the Kokiri lived in. The timid Kikwis who had come to hide in the village were walking around as well, their bulbs on their backs slightly open to soak in the rays of the sun.

 

Everyone in the village had felt the wave from the temple in the forest and when they looked outside, saw that they were safe. All the Kokiri had felt not too long ago their connection with the Deku Tree renewed, everyone's spirits were up... except for Mido's... He was happy that the forest was safe again and that they had a new Deku Tree... but he missed Saria... and the man from the forest who had known Saria's special song... he was sure that was Link.

 

Mido turned as he heard footsteps behind him; it was the man he thought was Link. The red headed Kokiri moved so he was blocking Link's path.

 

"Where is Saria?" He asked.

 

"She's in the temple as its sage," Link said. Mido closed his eyes and nodded his head after a second.

 

"Oh... I see... Saria won't ever come back," Mido said as his green eyes reopened and look up at Link. He was sure this was the fairy-less boy he bullied long ago, he even had the same blue fairy with him. "But, I made a promise to Saria... if Link came back, I would be sure to tell him that she had been waiting for him, because Saria really liked..." Mido could not bring himself to say it, nor could be bring himself to tell the larger boy that he _knew_ who Link was. "Hey... if you see him somewhere, please let him know." Mido turned and started to walk away. He stopped and turned his head slightly to speak over his shoulder. "And also... I'm sorry for being mean to him... tell him that, too," Mido offered as an apology before heading to his home.

 

A group of Kokiri girls that were nearby heard Mido.

 

"Link... I wonder if he will come back," One girl said, everyone in the village barring Saria, Mido and Fado still thought Link was a Kokiri. The girls noticed Link as he walked pass, moving to surround him.

 

"You're such a big strong guy!" Another girl said. "I really want to be like you someday; even through I'll always be small."

 

"I still think you really look like somebody I've seen before, mister," The third girl said.

 

"I just have that face," Link said with a sad smile. The girls giggled then ran off to gossip some more.

 

Link listened to the Kokiri and Kikwis talk happily as he passed them. Some spoke about the temple and the new Deku tree and some spoke about him. A sad pained look crossed his face as he heard one said that he was sure Link would return to the forest someday not know Link was there with them now.

 

Link left the main entrance to the village, now that the mission to awake Saria as the sage was over, he was tried and could feel every ache, burn and cut he got from the monsters in the temple.

 

"You did a good job Hero," Sheik said from behind Link. The green clad youth turned toward the other teen, a weary smile on his face. "You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temple and awakened the sage."

 

"Yeah... it was Saria..." Link said softly. "She always felt a connection to that place when we were younger."

 

"As a Sage, she would," Sheik agreed. Link stumbled slightly as he took another step toward the exit, Sheik rushing over to wrap his arms around the other blond. "Whoa there Hero... I think you've had enough for today. I think you need your wounds tended to and some sleep." The shadow elf tossed a Deku nut, teleporting himself, Link and Navi to the hidden Sheikah village deep in the forest.

 

*******

 

Meanwhile, in the highest room of the dark tower that loomed over the remains of Hyrule Castle Town, Zelda sat on a throne. She wore a blood red dress that had the Tri-force symbol on the front in black instead of gold. A gothic circlet cross sat on top of her head and delicate jewelry decorated her neck and arms.

 

Zelda was pondering what to do about the thorn in her side, the forest boy Link.

 

 _'I should have killed him when I had the chance,'_ she thought, tapping the fingers of one hand on the arm of the throne. Instead though, she had let the blond boy live after he opened the door to the Scared Realm. He had already awakened one of the Sages, her control over the forest was gone. When she was a child, after she took over Hyrule, she and the witch sisters Kotake and Koume killed for spirit forms of the pervious Sages. The Light Sage was the only one who escaped, hiding away in the Sage's chamber where she could not reach him at this time.

 

"Where would the boy go next?" Zelda asked herself softly as she stood and walked over to a high window that looked out over _her_ country. In the distance she could see Death Mountain surrounded by a fiery looking cloud and Zora's domain. She had already punished the Zora for standing up against her, freezing them in their homes. The cold blond woman turned her attention back to the violent volcano, a smirk crossing her ruby red lips. Likely the so called 'hero' would head there next; she had to make sure he knew that was foolish to cross her.

 

"Go to Death Mountain and gather the Goron. Place them in cages within the Fire Temple, Mogmas as well if you come across them," Zelda commanded two of the armored soldiers standing at attention by the doorway. Unlike how her 'father' had them dressed, the processed guards know were covered in strong protective armor. (3) "They shall be made examples of."

 

The soldiers saluted then left the room to do her bidding. Once they were gone, Zelda used her magic to teleport herself into the heart of the fire temple. There, half buried in the ground, were the skeletal remains of a dragon that once lived on the volcano a long time ago. The dark queen began to use her magic, pouring it into the dragon remains. The bones started to glow brightly with a bright light as they started to float in the air. Flesh and blood started to form around the bones and with a flash, the revived dragon roared loudly.

 

"Volvagia!" Zelda called loudly. "I have given you life once again! You are mind to command." Volvagia roared again, coming to land in front of Zelda. The dragon nuzzled Zelda's hand as she laid it on the dragon's snout. The queen of evil teleported them to the center of the volcano where her soldiers were marching a group of Gorons toward the entrance of the temple. Some of the soldiers were holding a couple of struggling Mogmas who were fighting to get free. "Here me Gorons and Mogmas of Death Mountain! You're deaths shall be a warning to all that oppose me! You shall become dinner for the dragon Volvagia!"

 

Volvagia roared loudly in response, making the Goron's quake in fear as a long dead myth came to life. Stories passed down from father to son told about Volvagia who use to eat Gorons before a hero of the Gorons killed it. In the passageway to the Gorgon city, a young Goron boy shook in fear as his people was taken.

 

******

 

Author note: Ok so to explain, I always wondered about the back story of the Forest Temple. To me, the Forest Temple in the Ocarina of Time does not look like it's a temple for the forest. The forest temple in Twilight Princess is closer to what I think a forest temple should look like. Instead I think the TOOT temple looks like a manor or fortress. We're also are never given a back story for the Poe sisters so the idea is that a researcher found the remains of the original forest temple and build his home on top of it. Then he moved his family into the new temple who died one by one while he went insane.

 

I also gave a more realistic version on how Link got the Fairy Bow. And lastly I changed the boss of the temple, didn't want Zelda to just copy Ganon's phantom into some 'Zelda phantom' so I turned it into a Banshee that use to be the Poe sister's mother when they were alive.

 

(1) Venus was the name of the fairy queen in A Link to the Past.

 

(2) When I look at the Deku Tree Sprout, I always imagine him speaking with a thick country accent.

 

(3) think the soldiers in ALTP

 

Edit 7-27-14: Another chapter cleaned up.


	11. Chapter 11

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

 

Chapter 11

 

Link's eyes fluttered open the next morning, after a Sheikah healer bandaged his wounds and forced a healing potion down his throat Link had fallen asleep on the spare bed in Sheik's home.

 

"Link! You're awake!" Navi said as she popped into Link's view, making him groan and hold up a hand to block the light that the fairy emitted. She quickly landed on his chest, the light going out to show her form. "Sorry. I was a bit worried, you've been asleep for almost a whole day."

 

"That temple was much harder than what I went through as a child," Link pointed out, holding a hand out for Navi to crawl into so he could sit up. "What happen while I was out?"

 

"Nothing much, the Sheikah cleared out the rest of the woods of the more dangerous monsters so all that's left is the more normal bunch that's always wondered there," Navi explained. "I think the Kikwis were escorted home and the Parella were informed their lake is safe again. The Minish seems the same as always but I'm sure they are trying to invent new flowers for the woods."

 

"....I couldn't even see any Minish" Link said, the whole time he had been in the Kokiri forest, he had not seen any of the tiny little begins that strived to make people happy.

 

"Well you're an adult now Link," Navi said. "Adults are unable to see the Minish." Link sighed softly, he had forgotten about that.

 

"Link, are you awake?" Sheik asked on the other side of the room's door, knocking on it gently.

 

"Yeah," Link said. The other blond boy opened the door and smiled at the rumbled looking Kokiri raised boy in the bed.

 

"How are you feeling?" Sheik asked.

 

"Still a little sore, but I think that will go away soon," Link said as he turned to sit on the edge of the bed, Navi taking flight again. The teen picked at the flowing looking shirt he was wearing that would have come down to mid thigh if he was standing up. "What am I wearing?"

 

"It's one of my sleep shirts, you clothing was covered in blood and needed to be cleaned and repaired," Sheik said. "They are in the cupboard there if you want to change. When you are done come downstairs, there is someone who wants to meet you," The Sheikah teen instructed then closed the door.

 

Link stood and walked over to the cupboard, like Sheik said his Kokiri style tunic, under shirt and pants were inside. To the side of the cupboard was the Master Sword, his shield, his quiver and his belt with the magic pouch attached. The teen quickly dressed and armed himself with his weapons then headed downstairs.

 

There he saw Impa, Sheik's mother and the leader of the Sheikah Tribe, standing by the table in the middle of the room. Also there was Sheik, a teenage boy a couple of years younger than him that must be Kain and a third teenage boy who had shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes. It was the third boy who noticed him first.

 

"Oh!" The boy said. "You must be the Hero of Time they keep tell me about."

 

"Link, this is Llyr," Impa said. "He is younger prince of Calatia and the true ruler of Hyrule." (1)

 

"True ruler? Calatia?" Link asked. Llyr laughed softly and motioned for Link to sit at the table.

 

"Allow me to try to explain. My father Lir was my late Uncle Dhanphos's younger brother, he married my mother who was the princess of Calatia, the land to the west of Hyrule," Llyr explained. "After Zelda's mother died, Father and Uncle Dhanphos agreed that I would be Hyrule's heir instead of Zelda as she doesn't process our bloodline's scared powers."

 

"Of course no one foresaw that Zelda would stage a takeover as she did," Impa said.

 

"No," Llyr agreed. "I've trained under my Father for years so I could join the effort to take back my kingdom. As much as I can anyway, Impa refuses to let me join in on the raids against Zelda's forces."

 

"It is too dangerous your majesty," Impa said firmly. "With her control over the other temples, Zelda is far too strong. So you must allow us and the Greudos to continue our work while Link awakens the sages."

 

"The Greudos? You mean Ganondorf?" Link asked as he turned to look up at Impa. "What happen to Ganondorf? Last time I saw him was when he left Hyrule Castle Town with you and Sheik right behind him."

 

"King Ganondorf and his people have done their part to fight against Zelda as well as keeping the agreement he arranged with King Dhanphos to protect Arbiter's Grounds and the entrance to the Desert of Doubt to protect the Scared Pyramid and the Zuna tribe," Impa said. "It would be very bad if Zelda got into either of those places, it's bad enough she has control over the Desert Temple."

 

"So Ganondorf is fine then," Link said, smiling as Impa nodded.

 

"I am sure you will see King Ganondorf soon," Impa said. She looked Link over with a critical eye. "You are not ready to journey to the next temple just yet, your body is still healing."

 

"But... but we need to awaken the next sage!" Navi said.

 

"If Link is not fully healed and rested he could make a mistake and get himself either killed or seriously injured," Impa said. "Hyrule has waited for 7 years for the Hero of Time, it can wait for its savior one more day." Navi sighed knowing that she wouldn't be wining this fight.

 

"Come on Hero, I'll show you around the village," Sheik said as he stood, motioning for Link to follow him.

 

"Wait for me!" Kain said as he ran off after the two older boys.

 

"So that is the legendary Hero of Time," Llyr said after a few minutes. "He isn't what I excepted. But then again I excepted a older knight not a boy my age."

 

"At 10 years old, Link broke curses cast on the Deku Tree, the Goron's Dodongo cave and the Zora's guardian deity," Impa said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I sense his potential even then. He is young but Link does have the spirit of the hero within him."

 

"Yes, I can sense it too," Llyr said after a moment. "The scared power of my family is weaker in the males of our bloodline but I still have some access to the Goddess's power. I can feel Farore and Hyila's blessing in him... I think you are right Impa, Link will save Hyrule from Zelda."

 

******

 

"Wow... I had no idea this was here," Link said as Sheik lead him around the forest Sheikah village. At some point they had lost Kain who had run off to speak to his friends.

 

"There are Sheikah villages all around Hyrule, so we can better protect both the land and the royal family," Sheik said. "Kakariko was our main hidden village, our grave yard is very important to our people, but after the Hyrule Civil War mother decided to open the village to outsiders."

 

"I didn't see any Sheikah there last time I was there," Link said.

 

"Zelda ordered her army to hunt us down and kill all remaining Sheikah," Sheik said as he sat down on top of a fence post. "So we had to flee the village to keep the Hylains and Humans who live there safe. She had no desire to kill them as long as they did not stand in her way."

 

"She never tried to attack the Kokiri Village did she?" Link asked.

 

"Zelda did send her soldiers into the woods a few times but the village remained hidden from them. Only the weak monsters ever entered, trainees like Kain traveled to your village everyday to clear out what they could," Sheik assured him. "And now that the Forest Sage is awakened and your new Deku Tree is growing, the woods are safe again."

 

"So I just need to awaken the next sage," Link said as he started to look around again. He tilted his head to the side; over the top of the trees to the south east he could see a large statue though he could not tell what it was of. "What's that?" He asked pointing at the monument.

 

"It's a statue of the Goddess Hylia," Sheik said as he looked to where Link was pointing.

 

"Hylia? Like the lake?" The younger blond asked.

 

"The lake is named for her. Would you like to see it closer?" Sheik offered. Link nodded making Sheik smile as he hopped down from his seat and wrapped his arms around his friend, teleporting to the statue.

 

When they reappeared, they were at the base of the statue. Link looked up and had to take a step back.

 

"Wow, I didn't realize it was _this_ big," He said. The statue was really old, there were vines and moss growing all over it. And there were places where the stone had crumbled, chipped or was worn smooth from the years and the weather. But the blond could still make out a winged woman with feathery looking hair. Link looked around then, they were inside some sort of pit, and behind them was a building that looked really old. "What is this place?" He asked, pushing at the door of the building. The door, old and weak, fell over with a crash.

 

"This use to be the temple of Hylia a long time ago," Sheik said as he followed Link into the old temple. "I don't know the whole story, you will have to ask one of the history keepers in the village."

 

"Do you know anything about it?" Navi asked, flying over to look at a tree growing off to the side.

 

"Only bits and pieces. There was an ancient evil sealed away outside and Hyila sent the Hylains to live in the sky," Sheik said. "Then one day the evil broke the seal and a hero came down from the sky with a sword. That sword was the Master Sword," He pointed to the blade on Link's back.

 

"Really?" Link said as he drew the Master Sword, holding it in front of him.

 

"Yes and this temple use to be the Master Sword's resting place for a time," Llyr said from behind the pair, causing the other two to turn to look at the prince. Kain stood behind Llyr waving; he had been the one to teleport Llyr over. "My ancestor was said to be the goddess Hylia reborn and her descendents were blessed with a golden scared power that only the females of our bloodline can fully use."

 

"The Sheikah were always loyal servants of Hylia, when she was reborn we followed her and her children," Sheik added. "And when they became the Royal family, we because their loyal servants and protectors."

 

"When the Castle and the Town around it was build a new Temple of Time was built as well," Llyr further explained. "The sages of the past moved the Master Sword from here to the new temple to act as one of the locks to the Scared Realm where the Triforce rested."

 

"Is all of that true?" Link asked.

 

"Well, parts of the tale might be fudged; it was a really long time ago," Llyr said as he walked around the temple. "But a lot of it is true. You've been close by here plenty of time Link, nearby is Lake Floira."

 

"It is? I had no idea this was here!" Link said as he placed the Master Sword back in its place and held his arms out around him as he tiled his head back looking at the temple that was overgrown with vines.

 

"It's very well hidden," Sheik said. "We keep it that way, both for the temple's protection and our village."

 

"I'm sure if Zelda could, she would destroy this place," Llyr said with a frown, gently touching wall of the temple. "My cousin is... so evil. She disgraces the name she was given."

 

"What does that mean?" Link asked.

 

"Zelda was said to be the name of Hylia's reborn form, the royal family often uses it to honor her," Sheik said. "Come on, let’s go back to the village," Sheik said. Link nodded and let Sheik teleport them back while Kain did the same with Llyr.

 

"Hey! You forgot me!" Navi yelled out into the empty temple. She huffed and flew out in the direction of the Sheikah village.

 

*****

 

"I have news from Kakariko Village," A Sheikah male said as he came in to report to Impa. It was late in the evening, Link had spent the whole day with Sheik in the village, exploring it in wonder and trying to find out more history about the land of Hyrule.

 

"What is it?" Impa asked.

 

"The village itself is safe but there is strange activity on Death Mountain," The Sheikah said. "A squadron of soldiers marched through the village yesterday up to the Goron city then came back hours later. A check showed at the city is deserted of Gorons barring only two. The rest are missing, even their leader.

 

"There have also been reports of strange activity coming from within the crater of the volcano," Impa hummed, tapping her fingers against her arm.

 

"This is troubling. What is Zelda up to?" Impa asked herself softly. "You are dismissed, report back quickly if anything changes or if you find out something more." The Sheikah bowed then teleported away. A little bit later when all the boys returned to her home, it was Link who noticed the look on her face.

 

"Did something happen?" He asked.

 

"Reports from Kakariko Village and Death Mountain," Impa said. "Soldiers were spotted in the village heading up to the Goron City and now the Gorons are missing."

 

"Death Mountain is where the next temple is correct?" Link asked, remembering the clues that Sheik gave him the other day. There weren’t very many places within Hyrule that counted as a 'high mountain'. "I'll head there tomorrow and see what happen then," he offered.

 

"That is agreeable, hopefully it will not be too late," Impa said.

 

"If Zelda has done something to the Gorons, we will hear about it before she pulls whatever she has planed off," Llyr said. "She'll want people to watch. I think we will have plenty of warning if anything happens before Link leaves."

 

******

 

Early the next morning Link and Navi, who had managed to return to the Sheikah village late in the afternoon the day before, were ready to go. Link was given a healing potion in one of his bottles and dry food and water given to the blond.

 

Sheik wrapped his arms around Link, teleporting his friend to the edge of the forest where Epona was waiting for her rider.

 

"I will see you when you find the temple Hero," Sheik said. Link smiled and nodded, grasping Sheik's arm gently. The red eyed teen smiled in return, pulled up his face mask and teleported away.

 

"How are you doing Epona?" Link asked as he patted the side of Epona's neck. Epona nickered softly in greeting, holding still as the Hylain teen climbed onto her back. "Let’s go." Link guided Epona out of the woods with his knees, kicking slightly with his heel to urge the mare into a gallop.

 

Link and Epona raced over the plains of Hyrule Field, the wind blowing in Link's strawberry blond hair. Navi clung to Link's tunic; the horse was running faster than she could fly. Death Mountain came into view as the sun reached the noon peak in the sky.

 

"That cloud looks even worse than it did the other day," Link said as he pulled Epona to a stop at the bottom of the stairs that lead to Kakariko Village.

 

"It's a sign, something evil is going on there," Navi said. Link nodded as his dismounted Epona and headed up to the village.

 

As Link passed through Kakariko, he could hear snippets of conversation from the people who lived there. They were talking about the soldiers who had marched by the day before. Link was worried and hoped that the Gorons were alright. No one paid much attention to Link as he ran toward the path that led up the side of the mountain so no one stopped the blond boy and his fairy partner.

 

The path was empty as Link jogged up it, only a teketite or two could be seen. Nowhere was there any Gorons to be seen. There was something new on the path, giant boulders were rolling down the side of the mountain, some would smack against the mountain side and break apart before they reached the village while he witness others rolling into the Dodongo cavern and wondered how much damage the cavern had now.

 

"Hey!" Link stopped as the ground burst open and a giant mole like creature popped out of the ground. "You're not going up to that city in the volcano are you?" The Mogma, a wave of black hair sweeping over one eye, asked in a slightly nasally voice.

 

"Yes, that is where I am heading," Link said with a nod.

 

"Man, you don't want to go there!" The Mogma said, waving his arms. "There is some crazy stuff going on up there! That crazy blond girl who calls herself queen did some mumbo-jumbo up there; you don't want to mess with all that!"

 

"I have too," Link said. "I can't leave the Gorons to whatever fate Zelda has for them."

 

"Well I think you're crazy," the Mogma said with a shake of his head. "But since you're set on going anyway, keep an eye out for my friends ya? They went up there to trade with the Gorons and they haven’t come back yet."

 

"Umm sure, I can do that," Link promised. The Mogma muttered about crazy humans under his breath as he popped back underground and tunneled away. "What was that thing?" Link asked, looking up at Navi.

 

"I think that was a Mogma, they live on the fair side of the mountain," Navi said. "They like to dig for rupees, because they are very shiny."

 

"He was very skittish," Link said as he started back up the path again. The pair reached the entrance to the Goron city near the top of Death Mountain not to long after, Link carefully stepping into the large cavern. It was deadly quite inside the city, there wasn't Goron to be seen or a sound to be heard.... expect one....

 

Link glanced over the edge of the pathway to the next level down in the city. There, rolling along the worn rock path, was a Goron curled up into a ball. It was much smaller than the Gorons he met seven years ago.

 

"Hey!" Link called, trying to get the small Goron's attention. The tiny rock person seemed to ignore him, or didn't hear over the rumbling noise its rolling around made. "How do we get its attention?" Link asked.

 

"Well I wouldn't suggest standing in front of it, you might get ran over," Navi said. "Hey... what about that Goron a few years ago that tried to roll down the mountain path with a bomb flower? He didn't seem hurt at all when it blew up, and neither did that Goron that was by Dodongo Cavern when you blew up the boulder that was blocking the entrance, I remember the bomb landing next to him.”

 

"I guess we can try it" Link said, carefully stepping onto a wooden hanging above the path below. He watched the Goron to see what path it took and how fast it went. Once he was sure he had the Goron's routine down, Link took out and lit one of his bombs, dropping it just as the Goron passed under him. The bomb exploded loudly, knocking Link down off his perch.

 

"AGGRR!" The Goron yelled as he was knocked out of rolling.

 

"Ummff!" Link grunted in pain as he landed on the ground.

 

"How could you do this to me?!" The Goron asked his voice muffled as he was still curled up into a ball. "You... you're Zelda's servant! Hear my name and tremble! I am Link! Hero of the Gorons!" Link pulled himself up off the ground as the small Goron spoke.

 

"Link is my name," Link said as he leaned down and gently laid a hand on the Goron's back. The Goron whose name was also Link made a surprise noise and uncurled form his ball, standing up to look at Hylain teen.

 

"What? Your name is also Link?" Goron-Link asked, shifting foot to foot excitedly. "Then... then you must be the legendary Dodongo Buster and Hero Link! My dad is Darunia, do you remember him?"

 

"Yes, I met him seven years ago, we became sworn brothers," Link said with a smile.

 

"Dad named me Link after you, because you're so brave," Goron-Link gushed happily. "It's a cool name, I really like it. Link, you're a hero of us Gorons! I'm so glad to meet you. Oh oh! Please give me your autograph!" Goron-Link started to pat down his form, looking for a pen and paper. "Sign it 'To my friend, Link of the Gorons'."

 

"Maybe later," Link said. "Where is everyone else?"

 

"Oh... I guess it's not a good time to ask you this," Goron-Link said, a worried look crossing the small Goron's face. "Please help everyone!"

 

"What happen?" Link asked.

 

"My-my dad, Darunia, went to the Fire Temple. There's a dragon inside!" Goron-Link wailed. "If we don't hurry up, even my dad will be eaten by the dragon!"

 

"Whoa, calm down Link," Link told Goron-Link. "What do you mean eaten by a dragon?" Goron-Link sniffed, rubbing the back of his hand against his nose.

 

"Come on, I'll show you," Goron-Link said, grabbing Link's arm and pulling the teen down to the bottom level of the city to a room with a large mural on the wall. "A long time ago there was an evil dragon named Volvagia living on this mountain. The dragon was very scary! He ate Gorons!" The mural showed a crude paint of a long red dragon on top of a pointy mountain that Link guessed should be Death Mountain. In the dragon's clutches were little Gorons, one of them held up to the dragon's mouth. Goron-Link pulled Link over to the next wall with a different painting.

 

"Using a huge hammer, the hero of the Gorons destroyed it. This is a myth from long ago, but it's true!" Goron-Link said. The mural showed a large Goron with a hammer hitting the dragon in the mural on the head. "I know, because me and my dad are descendants of the hero!"

 

"So where were the other Goron's taken?" Link asked.

 

"Everyone was taken to the Fire Temple," Goron-Link said as they walked back out to the central chamber. "While my dad was out, Zelda's soldiers came and took them all away! All of them will be eaten by Volvagia! Dad said that Zelda has revived Volvagia as a warning to those who might oppose her. Zelda is going to feed them all to Volvagia!"

 

"Where is Darunia anyway?" Link asked.

 

"Dad went to the Fire Temple all by himself to try to save everyone," Goron-Link told the blond. "Please help, Link!"

 

"I will, don't worry," Link assured the other Link.

 

"I wish I could help somehow... wait!" Goron-Link ran off over to a doorway Link knew lead to a shop. The little Goron returned a few minutes later, a red tunic in his hands. "Here, I'll give you this heat-resistant tunic!" He handed the tunic to Link who ran a hand over his new shirt. "It's made out of Dodongo hide, it'll absorb the heat in the volcano so you can survive in there. Without it you'll die from the heat."

 

"Thank you Link," Link said. "How do I get to the temple?"

 

"There's a tunnel that leads to the crater at the top of the volcano next to the Great Fairy's cave," Goron-Link explained. "But I know a quicker way. There's a secret passage in our rooms, just move the statue in the back!" Link nodded in understanding and moved into the room where he first met Darunia. Like Goron-Link said, there was a giant statue in the same of a Goron in the back of the room. He grabbed onto the rings that hung on the front and with a grunt he pulled the heavy statue out of the way. Once it was far enough out to slip behind, Link looked down the passage. A wave of heat hit Link in a face, taking his breath away as he stumbled back. The heat was even hotter and ticker than Dodongo Cavern.

 

"Whoa!" Navi said as she felt the heat herself. "Good thing you got that tunic."

 

"Yeah" Link agreed, removing his sword, shield and the belt around his waist. The green Kokiri styled tunic was removed and placed in his magic pouch then the red one put on instead. It was styled similar to his green one but made out of thin red leather. The tunic even had a matching hat. After his weapons were returned to their rightful places Link stepped back into the passageway. The heat hit him again, breaking out in a sweat almost right away but at least he didn't feel like he was about to die now.

 

"Is it working?" Navi asked.

 

"Yeah... it's still hot but I think I can work through this heat," Link said with a nod.

 

"Good, let’s get to that temple then," Navi said, leading the way down the passage way to the volcano crater.

 

****

 

"Whew... it's hot in here," Navi panted, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Link peeked over the edge of the ledge they were on, below was a lake of lava that he would hate to fall into since it would kill him. "There's a bride up ahead."

 

"Looks like it's broken," Link said as they walked up to it. Part of the bridge was collapsed, the ropes cut by the soldiers when they left the crater. Above the bridge was a wooden pole, perfect for him to use the hookshot on. The hook sunk deep into the pole, hooking into the wood and pulling Link across. He stumbled slightly as he dropped down onto the bridge, it swayed under his feet but it held steady. Half way across the bridge, Sheik dropped out of nowhere in front of the other blond.

 

"Sheik!" Link said in surprise as he stepped back. "How are you not burning up in here?"

 

"Sheikah uniforms are made out of Dodongo hide," Sheik said with a chuckle.

 

"You're here to teach me the next song right?" Link asked.

 

"Yes then I will stay out here to help the Gorons get across the bridge," Sheik said as he took the Goddess Harp out from a holding place behind his back. "You know it's something that grows over time, a true friendship."

 

"Like me and Saria... or you and me?" Link asked. Sheik smiled behind his face mask and nodded his head.

 

"A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time," Sheik continued, gently strumming his harp. "The passion of a friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and you will know which way to go through it. Now listen to this song dedicated to the power of the heart, the Bolero of Fire."

 

Sheik plucked off the notes of the song while Link closed his eyes as he listened to the song and felt the magic behind it. Once he was sure he had the notes down, he repeated them on the Ocarina of Time. Then, like before, Link and Sheik were playing a duet on ocarina and harp. If the Minuet of Forest felt like the cool, calm forest and of home then the Bolero of Fire felt like a passion of heat that surround Link and played in time with his heart it seemed. It reminded him of the steady growing friendship he and Sheik had growing between then and of the brother hood the Gorons always displayed with each other.

 

"Ohhh" Link said as the song ended. "I wonder if that is going to happen every time you teach me one of those songs?" Sheik blinked in slight surprise.

 

"You feel the songs magic as well?" He asked. Link nodded as he put away the ocarina. "Very few Hylains can feel magic like that anymore. Your bloodline must have been strong."

 

"I wouldn't know," Link said with a shrug. "I only know what the Deku Tree told me and that was only that my Mother gave me to the Great Deku Tree to protect and raise."

 

"Hmm," Sheik hummed. "Be careful Link," He said as the other blond passed him. Link smiled at him over his shoulder then headed toward the entrance of the Fire Temple which led even deeper into the volcano.

 

*******

 

Link finally reached the bottom of the ladder that lead to the temple. It was just as hot here as it had been in the open part of the volcano and the blond couldn't wait until he was done with this place as all he wanted to do was dive into a cool pool of water. He opened the door in front of him, entering the first true chamber of the temple looking around.

 

Unlike the Forest Temple, which had reminded him of a huge manor house, the Fire Temple looked a bit more like a temple. He could swear he could almost hear some sort of chanting in the background but it had to be a trick of the ear. (2)

 

In front of him, on top of a set of stairs, stood the familiar large form of the Goron Big Brother and leader Darunia.

 

"Darunia," Link called as he walked up to join his 'brother'.

 

"Err? Who's There?" Darunia asked as he turned, looking down at Link. The Goron's large purple eyes lit up after studying the young man for a moment. "Is that you, Link?"

 

"Yeah, it's me," Link said with a smile.

 

"Oh, it really is Link!" Darunia said with a booming laugh and a smile of his own. "You've grown so big since I last saw you!" The smile dropped from the Goron's face as he frowned. "I want to have a man-to-man talk with you, but now is not the time. Zelda is causing trouble on Death Mountain again! This time she has revived the evil, ancient dragon Volvagia! On top of that, she is going to feed both my people and the Mogmas to that evil dragon as a warning to the other races that might resist her."

 

"Yeah, your son told me. What do we need to do to stop the dragon?" Link asked.

 

"If that fire-breathing menace escapes from the mountain, all of Hyrule will become a burning wasteland so I will go on ahead to try and seal up the evil dragon," Darunia said, pointing to a door to the side of the room. "I'm concerned that I don't have the legendary hammer my ancestor used but I have no choice.... Link, I am asked you to do this as my Swore Brother: while I am trying to deal with Volvagia, please save my people and the poor Mogmas that managed to get mixed up into this mess!"

 

"I will, don't worry," Link assured him with a nod.

 

"The prisoners' cells are in that direction," Darunia said, pointing to a door that was on the other side of the chamber across from the one that the giant Goron was going through. "I am counting on you, Link!" Link watched his 'brother' leave the room through the first door then faced the second one.

 

"Well.... time to save the Goron butts again," Navi said as they headed deeper into the temple.

 

*******

 

The next room Link entered was huge; most of the ground was covered in lava with cropping of rocks and platforms that moved back and forth with bursts of flames. Link could see Fire Keese flying over head and every now and then a Fire Bubble would leap out of the lava, bouncing around before going back under. Across the middle of the chamber was a bridge that was missing a section in the middle. Parts of the wood were scorched from the Fire Bubbles bouncing off of it so many times.

 

Link crossed the bride, slicing a Bubble in half when it got to close and squinted through the heat haze at the door on the other side.

 

"It looks like it's locked," He said.

 

"Well the key has got to be somewhere," Navi said. Link nodded and jumped down to the nearest out cropping of rock. He yelped as he slid on the crumbling dirt and rock to the lava surrounding it.

 

"Wow... this tunic really does the trick," Link said as he realized he was standing on top of the lava and wasn't hurt. He used this to quickly run to the side of the chamber where a door stood in an alcove. Above the alcove was a large blue block with an odd symbol that he had seen back in the Temple of Time. He had seen blocks like these before, in the Forest Temple. As Link entered the door, he noticed that the temperature dropped several degrees. It was still extremely warm, reminding him of the Dodongo Cavern. He stopped and listened for a moment, he could hear faint whimpers echo off the oddly green walls.

 

"Errr, would you stop that noise?" A slightly naylzed voice bounced off the walls. "It's not helping anything." Link walked down the hallway, coming up on a cage at the end. Inside was a Goron curled up in a ball and a Mogma wearing blue overalls and blue hair swept back glaring at his cell mate. "Man you are so annoy... AH!" The Mogma yelped as he turned and saw Link standing on the other side of the bars.

 

"Are you two ok?" Link asked, kneeling so he was on level with the Mogma. The Mogma leaned back so he was balanced on his tail, arms crossed over his chest.

 

"You don't work for the crazy lady do ya?" The Mogma asked. "Cause if you do, 'm not gonna tell you nutin'."

 

"I don't work for Zelda," Link said with a shake of his head.

 

"We're working against her," Navi said as she flew past the bars and got into the Mogma's face. "We're trying to get you guys out."

 

"Why didn't you say so!" The Mogma yelled excitedly. "Those guard guys stepped on some sort of switch to lock the bars."

 

Link looked around, spotting a switch on the floor. Pressing a foot down on it, the bars of the cell clanked then rose into the ceiling. The Goron noticed the noise and looked up.

 

"Ohhh, are we free?" The Goron asked as he stood. He squinted as he looked at Link before smiling. "OH! Brother Link, it is you!"

 

"Have your reunion later big guy, let’s get out of here!" The Mogma yelled as he took off down the hall way.

 

"Good luck Brother," The Goron said as he patted Link's shoulder then followed his cell mate. Link walked behind them and watched at the Mogma burrowed into the ground as soon as they were back into the large cavern while the Goron headed for the door at lead to the entrance.

 

"Well... that's one Goron and Mogma down," Navi said after they left. Link nodded as he dug out the Ocarina of Time, stepping back enough so he could see the block from before. He played the Song of Time, trigging a spell that had the block moved down next to him so Link could climb to the level above. There was another door there which Link entered. Like before, the temperature in the room dropped to a manageable warm level. "Link! Look out!"

 

Navi's warning came just in time for Link to bring his shield in front of him to block the flying piece of floor tile that had rose up and flew at him. Several more followed and Link grunted as each one hit, jarring his arms. After a minute or so the attack seemed to stop. Link peeked over the top of his shield, the room had a few spaces where the floor tiles had come from but no more seemed to be moving.

 

"Thanks Navi" Link said as he replaced his shield on his back. Link looked around the room, there didn't seem to be any prison cells within the room but he did find an odd Golden Skulltula on a wall. Link had run into the odd bugs before several times. Everything he killed one a golden skull shape token would be left behind. He didn't know what they were for though.

 

After Link killed the golden Skulltula he exited the room and headed back into the main cavern.

 

"Well, let’s see what's on the other side," He said, running across the lava covered floor to the other side of the room. There he found an odd looking piece of wall. It looked like a doorway that had been bricked over. Link took out a bomb and lit it, moving far enough away so he wouldn't be hurt in the blast. The bomb blew up the wall revealing door behind it. Link opened the door and saw another cell with just a Goron inside. "Hey, get up" Link called softly, wrapping his hands around the bars.

 

"Please.... don't eat me..." The Goron's muffled voice pleaded. Link sighed and look around, spotting a switch like before. Stepping on it, the bars rose up and alerted the Goron that he was free. "You... you're not going to eat me?" The Goron asked as he slowly stepped out of the cell.

 

"Of course not," Link assured him.

 

"Oh, Brother Link" The Goron said as he recognized the teen. "Thank you Brother. Here... I have something that might help you. I stole it from the guard." He held out a hand that had a sliver key in his palm.

 

"Thank you," Link said with a smile as he took the key. The Goron smiled and quickly walked off to get out of the Temple. Link looked down at the key in his hand then took off for the locked door he saw before; he was now had the way forward.

 

*********

 

Link panted heavily as he pressed up against a wall, he was currently in a large room that was made up of wide passages that had giant boulders not unlike the ones rolling down the side of Death Mountain currently. At first Link wondered how in the name of Din the boulders could roll around like they did, some even stop and reversed their direction. It later occurred to him that it had to be some sort of spell, one he couldn't get rid of and had to live with the annoying boulders.

 

"Navi, fly up and see if you can find a way out of here," Link said, he was tired of almost getting crushed by rolling boulders. The only real break he had was when he found a false wall and let another Goron out. How he got out without being crushed was a mystery in its own.

 

"Alright," Navi flew straight up to look around the large chamber. "I see another cell with a Goron... some doors way above us we can't reach yet.... yes! There is another door out of here!" The fairy flew back down to Link. "Just keep going straight in that direction, here is a door at the bottom of that large column over there" Link nodded to show he heard then peaked around the wall to see where the boulder was. It was currently rolling away from him so the blond elf took his chance and dashed down the passageways.

 

"Whoa!" He flattened himself against a wall as a boulder rolled by, the giant rock just missing his lean form by a few inches. "Too close," He muttered as he started running again. The door Navi pointed out was just ahead, leaping and rolling forward to avoid another boulder, coming to a stop at the door.

 

"You almost didn't make it," Navi said.

 

"I know, don't remind me," Link said as he opened the door. In front of him was a narrow walkway suspended over a large open shaft. Link peaked over the edge to see where the shaft led to, he could see lava and part of a bridge below.

 

"Be careful," Navi said as she looked over as well.

 

"The walkway is wider than a rope or a tree limb," Link said as he carefully walked across it to the door on the other side.

 

*********

Author Note: Like always, I like trying to blend the different games together so not only are the Mogmas, whom are my favorite race introduced in SS, included temple but I figured if the Sheikah had a village in the forest they would build it near the temple of their goddess.

 

Llyr is an original character who’s taking Zelda’s place as far as future ruler of Hyrule and the Sage of Time/Leader of the Sages goes but he does not have any pieces of the Tri-Force. As Zelda is adopted she doesn’t have any of Hylia/the first Zelda’s blood in her so the king had to make his nephew by his younger brother his heir.

 

Next chapter we finish up the fire temple!

 

(1) Calatia is a land introduced in the Legend of Zelda comics by Valiant Comics that was based off the cartoon. It was the home land of Link from the original game according to the comics but that isn't really canon. Calatia is more fanon thing but I've always gone with it since there's isn't any sort of back-story of for the Link from LOZ.

 

(2) In the original version of the Fire Temple background music there was chanting that supposedly had religious words in it. You can look it up on the net to see what they say the chanting meant. Later versions of the game had the chanting taken out.

 

Edit 7-28-14: Nothing much changed, just grammar and spelling mistakes fixed.


	12. Chapter 12

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

 

Chapter 12

 

The next chamber Link entered was another room with lava on the floor and a grated floor suspended over it.

 

"Man... I can't believe this," A voice said from somewhere in the room. Link jumped down onto the grate to get a better look. There, above the middle of the room hung a Mogma, who had slicked back black hair, from a crane.

 

"Are you ok?" Link asked, getting the Mogma's attention. The Mogma gave a yelp of surprise and turned his head to look at Link.

 

"Ahh! Another one of those crazy chick’s henchmen," He said, his legs swinging wildly. "Well you ain't gonna get nufin out of me, you hear me!"

 

"I'm not working for Zelda," Link said with a shake of his head. "Here, let me get you down." As he stepped forward, Link heard a crackle behind him.

 

"Look out!" Navi said in alarm. Link looked over his shoulder; a wall of fire had sprung up and was coming right at him. The Mogma screamed in fear, he was down low enough that he was right in the path of the fire wall.

 

"Get me down get me down get me down!" The Mogma screamed. Link took off at a run, going past the Mogma who yelled "Hey! Where are you going?!" The blond spotted a pillar sticking out of the lava, jumping up so he could push off with his feet to a nearby ledge. The Hylain youth grab the edge and pulled himself up with a grunt.

 

"Oh Din! I'm gonna die!" The Mogma yelled as the fire wall came closer to him. Link ran over and grabbed the crank handle of the crane. As he turned the crank, the crane swung around, taking the Mogma out of harm's way and over to the ledge. "You-you saved me!"

 

"It's ok," Link said as he ran over and started to untie the Mogma.

 

"Whew, I thought I was a goner," The Mogma said, whipping his forehead. "Thanks guy."

 

"It's nothing. You need to get out of here, I already set free your friend," Link said.

 

"Thanks for that," The Mogma said. "How do I get out of here? That fire wall might come back."

 

"I'll draw the fire to me and you can escape through the door. You should find a place to tunnel out nearby I think," Link said.

 

"Alright, I'll give it a try," The Mogma said. "I won't ever forget this guy." Link smiled and nodded then jumped back down onto the grate. Once again a wall of fire appeared and headed toward Link. The blond ran the length of the room toward a door on the other end, once the fire passed, the Mogma quickly high tailed it out of there.

 

******

 

Link had found himself back in the previous chamber after that, this time on the platforms above the rolling boulders. He had let free two Gorons from their cells, one inside the room and another he had found earlier in another room but hadn't been able to rescue at the time as there hadn't been any switches to open the cell he could see.

 

After that Link and Navi found themselves in a large room with a pillar in the middle that was surrounded by a couple of rolling boulders and two totems that spat fire. Link found that he couldn't just walk straight forward, when he approached an area with many posts that were a little taller than him, a wall of fire would spring up blocking his way. It was like a maze that he had to carefully walk until he found his way out.

 

At the moment he was on the other side of the room read to step on a switch that would lower a wall of fire that was blocking his way out.

 

"Ok... now!" Navi said. Link stomped on the switch then took off at a dead run toward raised area the door was located. Just as he reached the edge, he jumped up onto the raised area and tumbled into a roll just as the fire started again. "Whew, you almost didn't make it."

 

"It was close," Link agreed as he stood up and dusted the dirt off of his tunic. They had tired that several times, the fire had always sprung back up right before Link made it past. He had a couple of burns on his legs, the leggings he wore blackened in some areas, from those tries. Link turned to the door he had tried so hard to get too, frowning at it. "This door looks a little weird," He said as he stepped closer to it. The door looked different from the others he had seen already in the temple. It looked... well it looked like it was fake to be honest. Still he reached forward, brushing his fingers against the knob. He just had enough time to snatch his hands back and roll to the side as the door wiggled then came crashing down.

 

"It's a trap door!" Navi said. "It's easy to get rid of, just blow it up."

 

"With pleasure," Link said as he took out a bomb from his pouch, the wick lighting as soon as it was free. He placed the bomb at the base of the trap door then moved to stand several feet away. The bomb went off, seemed to shake the ground under Link's feet, and blew the trap door to pieces. The pieces laid scattered around and behind the space laid a small hall way with a second door at the end, this one real. The blond opened it and stepped into the next room. There was a large square platform in the middle of the room that had a large raging fire on top of it. Link started to look around for a switch to douse the fire, as he stepped away from the door a set of bars slid down in front of it, locking the Hylian hero and his fairy partner in the room.

 

"We're locked in!" Navi yelled.

 

"I can see that Navi," Link said, turning as something laughed behind him. Leaping out of the fire was a fire creature that looked only vaguely humanoid with a large black orb in the middle. It reminded Link of a scarecrow but on fire. "What is that?"

 

"It's a Flare Dancer," Navi informed him as the Flare Dancer started to spin in place, several fire balls flying from its body. "Extinguish its flaming clothing first to get to the core."

 

Link nodded and drew The Master Sword as he stepped close to the Flare Dancer. The Dancer cackled as it stopped spinning and started to glide around the room away from Link. He frowned; he couldn't get close so he withdrew the Fairy bow and notched an arrow along the string. The arrow flew true toward the Dancer but burn to ash before it could reach it.

 

"Try the Hookshot," Navi suggested. Link switched the two items and inched forward the Flare Dancer as it stopped to spin in place again. The Hookshot caught hold of its black core and dragged it out of its protective flame clothing. As soon as it hit the floor, the Dancer started to run away, running in a circle around the platform. Link waited by the wall kneeling in wait then hit it with a spin attack when it was close enough. The Dancer yelled in pain then jumped back into the flames on top of the platform.

 

This time with the Flare Dancer jumped out, its 'clothing' was blue and purple. Link grinned and aimed his Hookshot at the Dancer again before it could glide off, dragging the core out again. After Link hit the core again, the Dancer jumped back in the fire again and jumped out wearing flames that was two shades of green this time around. This time, after Link dragged the core out and sliced it in half, the Flame Dancer seemed to expand which was Link's only warning to get out of the way as the Dancer's core exploded. The shockwave from the blast caught Link in the back as he ran away from it, sending him to the ground with a grunt.

 

"Ow," He said as he sat up, rubbing his jaw. He saw a bit of blood onto the floor having bit his tongue when he landed. He looked toward the door as he heard the bars slid up out of the way.

 

"Link, the fire is going out on the platform," Navi said. Link stood up and turned toward the platform, watching as the fire died. He looked up above it, seeing a hole in the ceiling.

 

"Guess that is where we leave," He said as he walked up the small set of stairs onto the platform. The blond stumbled a bit as the platform jerked before rising in the air to the next level of the temple. The room above was a small room with only one door out. As Link stepped off the platform it sunk back down to the room below. Link looked back at the hole at the floor for a second then exited through the door.

 

The next room was a large tall chamber that hand a winding dirt path with dips and slopes all along the path. The middle of the room was a large hole that led down to chambers below. Link looked over the edge but couldn't make out anything below. Along the edge of the path was a set of stairs that were very narrow and if one wasn't careful could easily fall off of. At the top of the path Link spied some sort of fire.

 

As he headed for the small set of stairs to head up and get a closer took, two small mounds of dirt started to build up. Two Mogmas, the one with the swept back blue hair and the slick back black hair one, popped out of the dirt.

 

"Hey!" The black hair one greeted.

 

"Whoa," Link said as he stood a step back. "What are you two still doing here? I though you would have escaped."

 

"Well yeah but we felt that we owed ya for helping us out," The blue hair one said. "You wantin’ what's up there?" He asked, pointing at the fire above.

 

"Yes. Do you know what it is?" Link asked.

 

"It's some sorta shrine. Some related to those Gorons," The black hair one said. "And it's got this really shiny hammer sitting on top of it."

 

"That must be the Goron hammer they used to defeat Volvagia in the past... do you know of any way I can get that hammer?" Link asked.

 

"There's a switch over there," The black hair Mogma said as he pointed.

 

"You can head up to the shrine and we'll hit the switch for ya," His companion offered. "We'll be even then."

 

"That would be great, thank you," Link said.

 

"Hey, you saved our bacon so we save you some hardship," The blue hair Mogma said with a shrug. Link nodded and head up, careful not to fall off the stairs. Once at the top, he waved his hand for the Mogmas to trigger the switch. Both Mogmas put their weight on the switch, triggering it and lowering the flames around the shrine. Link took a good look at the shrine. It was large, decorated with carvings of the same story Goron-Link had told him. Hanging on a pair of hooks was a large shiny hammer. Link lifted it off the shrine, grunting under the weight but was able to hold it up. As he stepped back, the protective flames sprung back up around the shrine.

 

"We can go help Darunia beat Volvagia now," Navi said as she bounced in excitement.

 

"Let’s free the rest of the Gorons then we can go help him," Link agreed. They headed back down the path, Link smiling as he approached the Mogmas. "Thank you for your help"

 

"Hey, glad we could help," The blue hair Mogma said.

 

"We're out of here now," The black hair one said. Both Mogmas waved then popped back underground. Link watched them leave then looked down at the giant hammer in his hands.

 

"Where to now?" He asked as he walked toward the door he had entered before. He stepped up on a strange block that was on the floor, stopping as he felt it sink under his feet.

 

"What's wrong?" Navi asked when she noticed Link had stopped.

 

"There's something strange about this block," He said, bouncing on his heels. The block shifted under his weight as he moved. "It's like it’s loose."

 

"Hmm... try hitting it with the hammer," Navi suggested. Link hopped off the block and swung the hammer down. It struck the block with a mighty blow, sending a small shockwave out in all directions as the block fell through the floor. Navi followed the block to see where it led. "There's a door down here! Come on!" She called up through the hole. Link grinned and jumped down, his knees bending to absorb the impact as he landed below. Holding the hammer with one hand, he opened the door to the next room. Around the corner was a long chamber that had several Fire Keese flying around. Link set the hammer down and took out his bow, shooting each fire bat down. "You’re getting better," Navi said impressed. Link smiled as he put the bow away and picked up the Megaton Hammer.

 

The blond looked at the room again, the floor was long and looked like it was sectioned off. In the middle of the floor was a small column, with the same carving on the top as the block he had knocked down earlier. He hummed to himself and hit the column with the hammer. The ground shook as the floor started fall down, each section turning into a step. As the last one fell, down below was another door.

 

"I guess that's where we exit," Link said. He looked at the hammer he was holding, he didn't want to just carry the thing around as it was very heavy. He glanced at the pouch on his belt, wondering if the magic would work on it as well. He placed the handle of the hammer into the top of the pouch and watched amazed as it shrunk to fit inside. "Wow... That's the largest thing I've ever tried to fit in there, I can't believed it fit."

 

"Hmm," Navi glanced at the pouch. "It's Minish made, the pouch has their magic all over it. I'm not surprised that it could hold the hammer, the Minish's magic is very powerful." Link nodded in agreement then jumped down the large steps one by one to the door below.

 

*******

 

Link and Navi were back in the room with the large column in the middle with the fire maze, but this time on the other side.

 

"Link look," Navi said. "There's a room down there." She flew down to the grate in the floor, looking below. "It looks like the room Darunia went into." She had caught a glimpse of the room when the large Goron leader had opened the door. She turned and looked at the pillar hanging above the room, part of the pillar hanging through the grate. "Try knocking this into the room," She suggested.

 

Link jumped onto the platform holding the pillar up and took out the Megaton Hammer. With a yell he hit the pillar, sending it to the room below.

 

"Yes!" Navi said as the pillar fell. "Let's go."

 

"I'm not jumping down that, I could break my neck," Link said, looking at Navi like she was crazy. "I'll backtrack," He said as he jumped to the ledge attached to the column in the middle of the large chamber. He opened the door and inside he could hear the frightened whimpers of a Goron. Across the room was a switch on top of the cage holding the Goron captive. When Navi mentioned she sensed the same magic form the temple of time in a section of the room, he played the Song of Time which summoned a large blue block and let him climb on top of the prison.

 

"Hmm... it's not moving," Link said as he stepped on the switch. It looked different than the other switches and wouldn't move at all when he stomped on the top of it.

 

"It's rusted over," Navi said as she looked it over. "You're going to have to use something heavier to get it to move." Link gave it a thought then took out the Megaton hammer again, figuring that it wouldn't hurt to try.

 

"Hey!" Link swung the hammer down, the heavy hammer landing right in the middle of the rusted switch. The switch groaned and gave way under the hammer's weight, opening the cage door.

 

"Err?" The Goron stood as the door opened, smiling widely as Link jumped down in front of him. "Brother Link?"

 

"Yeah, it's me," Link said with a smile, setting the head of the hammer on the ground.

 

"I am so happy to see you Brother," The Goron said with a smile then eyed the hammer. "That's Megaton's hammer! Where did you find it?"

 

"At this shrine in another room," Link said. "Darunia said he needed it to battle that dragon, I thought I should take it to him."

 

"Megaton was the hero Goron that defeated Volvagia years ago," The Gorgon said. "He is Big Brother's ancestor... take good care of that hammer Brother." (1)

 

"I will," Link promised. The Goron patted Link's shoulder, nearly sending him to the floor and then ran out of the room. Link followed the Goron out, finding his way back to the rooms from before.

 

******

 

Link found himself back in the first room of the temple where he had seen Darunia. He went through the door the Goron leader had entered hours before. He looked around the new chamber, in the middle of the room in the lava was the pillar he knocked down before, giving him a perfect place to jump across so he could get to the door.

 

"Oh no," Navi said. "The door is locked." The large door on the other side of the chamber had a large lock, shaped like a flame, in the middle with red tinted gold chains covering the door. (2)

 

"How did Darunia get through?" Link asked as he jumped over to look at the lock.

 

"Hey!" Someone called from the side of the room. Link turned his head, seeing yet another Goron in a cell. "Can you get me out?"

 

"Yeah, give me a moment," Link called back. He made his way around the room using the hookshot to the platform in the corner of the room. The Goron smiled widely as the cell door opened and he exited.

 

"Thank you." The Goron said. "Big Brother said someone was coming to save me."

 

"Did you see where Darunia went?" Link asked.

 

"He unlocked the door with a key he had and entered the room. Afterward the lock and chains sprung back into place," The Goron said. Link sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

 

"How are we suppose to get in there if he had the key?" Link wondered.

 

"There's a spare key somewhere in the temple," The Goron said. "The original one was lost so a key smith had to make a new key for the door. I think it was lost somewhere in the rooms under the alter in the next room. I'll show you." The Goron motioned for Link to follow him, the large rock man using a path in the lava that Link couldn't use to get to the door out of the room.

 

"There, if you can move the stones blocking the door you can find the key somewhere in there," The Goron said, pointing at a door behind three blocks that had Gorons etched into the stone to the right of the stairs. "Good luck Brother."

 

Link watched the Goron leave then turned to the stones blocking the door. He went to one side and pushed at them, grunting under his breath.

 

"Oh, try using the hammer," Navi said. "I bet you can just smash them to pieces with it."

 

"Good idea," Link said as he took out the Megaton Hammer from his pouch and swung it at the stones. The one in the middle cracked as the hammer hit it, making Link smile and quickly destroy all three stones. Soon the floor in front of the door was littered with smaller stone pieces which Link kicked out of the way and opened the door. The next room after a short hall way was filled with Torch Slugs and Fire Keese. Link took out the Fire Keese with a few well place arrows then used the hammer to send the slugs onto their backs so Link could attack the soft underbelly.

 

As soon as the last Torch Slug was dead, a door in the corner of the room opened to let Link and Navi through. After searching the room for any trace of the key they needed, Link sighed.

 

"Not here," he said.

 

"Well, let’s try the next room then," Navi said, flying toward the door. Link followed the blue fairy, opening the door. In the middle of the room stood a large stone platform with a roaring fire going in the middle, just like the one they encountered before.

 

"Flare dancer!" Navi said as with a laugh a Flare Dancer like the one before jumped out of the fire. Link smirked; he knew how to take out the Dancer now and aimed his Hook shot at the core. It was a repeat of the battle with the first Dancer, Link dragging the core out of the 'clothing' and hitting the core as it ran around the room. After the third hit, Link ran to the other side of the platform so he wouldn't be hit by the blast as the Flare Dancer blew up. A quick search showed once again there was no key to be found in the room.

 

"Where is this thing?" Link asked with a frown.

 

"I don't know, but I'm sure the key is somewhere," Navi said. They went through the door which lead to a short hallway, a double sided Cell in the middle. Link sighed and stepped on the switch to let the Goron inside go, who thanked him and quickly left. "Well that has to be the last one," Navi said.

 

"Yeah... but where is that key?" Link asked with a sigh as he ran his hand through his hair, knocking his stocking cap off.

 

"It has got to be somewhere, maybe we should search the other two rooms again," The fairy suggested. Link sighed again and leaned over to get his hat. In the process he knocked some of the loose dirt away, something shining in the light under the dirt.

 

"What's this?" Link muttered as he dug into the dirt to see what it was. He grinned bright as he stood up, a large key that matched the design on the lock in the other room. "Found it!"

 

"Great! Let's go help Darunia and beat that dragon!" Navi cheered.

 

******

 

Link panted slightly from the heat in the final chamber, it was as hot in here as it was in the volcano crater.

 

"I don't see Darunia," Navi said as she looked around. "I don't see Volvagia either."

 

"Well a dragon can't be that hard to hide," Link said as he looked around. "Maybe Volvagia is in the lava?" he suggested as he looked down at the lake of lava that surrounded the round island in the middle. The island was covered in smaller puddles of lava, heat rising from each hole. "I'm more worried that I don't see Darunia."

 

"Well... I'm not sure where he could be," Navi admitted, having no clue. "I hope he's ok." Link jumped onto a smaller out cropping of rock between the platform and the island in the middle of the cavern.

 

"Whoa!" Link yelled as the rock crumbled under his feet, quickly jumping on the island to avoid falling into the lava.

 

"Well we're not getting out that way," Navi said as she watched the rocks melt in the lava. Link walked further onto the island, the hair on the back of his neck was rising... something was going to happen soon. He reached up and wrapped his left hand around the hilt of the Master Sword, only drawing it slightly.

 

The ground under Link's feet started to shake while one of the lava puddles started to spit out sparks and globs of molten lava in front of Link. Then with a loud hissing roar, a long slender dragon burst out of the lava and flew into the air.

 

"It's Volvagia!" Navi yelled. Link drew the Master Sword out of reflex and struck out at Volvagia's head as the dragon flew straight at him. The blade glanced off the black mask the dragon wore. Volvagia stopped and roared, drawing in a large breath before breathing a stream of fire at Link. The blond yelped and brought his shield up in front of him to block the fire. The metal on the shield began to heat up under the hot flames. The leather gauntlets Link wore protected most of his hand from the hot metal but his fingers were seared, causing Link to give a pain cry and drop his shield to the ground. Luckily for him Volvagia ran out of breath by this time. (3)

 

 _'Ok, the Master Sword didn't work,'_ Link thought to himself as he quickly returned his blade to its place on his back. _'Let's see what the Megaton Hammer does.'_ He withdrew the giant silver hammer from his magic pouch quickly, waiting for his chance to strike again as Volvagia flew around above him.

 

"RAAAWWSSS!" Volvagia dove down at Link, his mouth open wide to sweep elf up and eat him. Link swung the hammer down as Volvagia got close, knocking the dragon's head to the ground with the force of the swing. The rest of the dragon's long body hit the ground as well. Stunned by the hit, Volvagia was unable to move as Link brought the Megaton Hammer down again. A crack started to form in the mask that covered Volvagia's head and Link could see some sort of green gem underneath.

 

"That must be the weak point!" Navi said as she noticed as well. "Get that mask off!" Volvagia didn't give the teen the chance to hit him again, roaring as he pushed up off the ground and back into the air, knocking Link over in the process.

 

"AHH!" Link yelled as his elbow landed on the edge of one of the lave puddles. The Goron made tunic he wore helped protect him from the heat produced by the lava inside the volcano but wasn't stop him from being injured with direct contact. Link sat up, clutching his brunt elbow with a hiss.

 

"Link! Look out!" Navi yelled. Link yelped a boulder landed near him, quickly standing up and getting out of the way as another rock landed where he had been sitting a second before. Volvagia had landed on the roof of the cavern and was ripping chunks of rock out to throw at Link. The blond started to dodge and weave around to keep from being hit. He grabbed the Megaton Hammer as he passed it, using it to smash rocks that had fallen into his path so he could keep moving around on the limited space he had. Finally the dragon above him gave up trying to squish Link with the rocks when Volvagia saw that it wasn't working.

 

With a roar the dragon dropped front the ceiling of the cavern down to the island in the lava, making the floor shake under Link's feet. The dragon started to draw in air, filling the fire sacks in his lungs. Link didn't give Volvagia a chance to breathe any fire in his direction, taking the hammer and bringing it down on the dragon's head. The mask cracked in half under the force of the blow, each half fall off the dazed dragon's head. The glowing green gym on the dragon's head was fully exposed, beaming like a beacon. Link quickly put up the Goron's treasured hammer and drew the Master Sword. Volvagia meanwhile shook off the dazed look on his face then snapped at Link as the blond lunged forward to attack the dragon's head gem.

 

Link cursed as he twisted and rolled out of the way to avoid being bitten by the dragon's sharp fangs. Volvagia chased after the elfin hero, pinning Link with on clawed hand and snapping his fangs around Link's right shoulder.

 

"ARRGG!" Link yelled loudly in pain as his whole shoulder was trapped within the dragon's mouth. He grunted as he used his free arm to swing the Master Sword up and around to strike the glowing gem. Volvagia roared loudly as he let go of Link and reared back in pain. Link quickly jumped up, ignoring the pain his shoulder was in, and attacked again. A crack started at the tip of the gem before quickly running down the length to the base of the glowing jewel before shattering into pieces.

 

Volvagia paused for a moment then roared loudly, his forepaws wrapped around his scattered gem as he trashed around. He then took to the air, withering in pain as the spell that Zelda cast to bring him back to life ended. Volvagia's body caught fire, burning the dragon's body until only the bones were left. The dragon's roars died off and bit by bit the dragon's bones fall to the ground and into the lava lake surrounding the island. The dragon's skull was the last to fall at Link's feet.

 

Link sighed in relief as the skull burst into a flame and was destroyed once and for all. The Master Sword was returned to its place on his back and as was the shield that Link had dropped earlier.

 

"Farore that was painful," Link said as he pulled his tunic back to peer at his shoulder. It was a bloody mess where Volvagia's fangs had dug in.

 

"You better heal that before it becomes infected," Navi said in worry. Link took out a bottom with a fairy and let it out. The pink light fairy took one look at Link's shoulder and gave a scream before pouring its magic into the wound. The bite marks started to close up until only his blood and a scar in the shape of a bite mark was left. The healing fairy also healed Link's burns that he gained throughout the temple with the last of its magic before fading away.

 

While the fairy worked on healing Link, a blue light sprung up in the middle lava puddle just like the one in the Forest Temple.

 

"That's our way out," Navi said as she noticed it. Link flexed his arm test his healed shoulder and elbow, the fairy had done a good job of fixing him up, then said a quick prayer to Farore for the life of little healing fairy. He stepped into the circle of blue light, a crystal surrounding the blond and whisking him away to the Chamber of the Sages. Link landed lightly on his feet as the crystal faded away, facing the symbol of the Fire Sage. A red light shone from the symbol and a large muscled figure rose up into view.

 

"Thank you, Brother!" Darunia said with a large grin.

 

"Darunia! I was worried, we didn't see you in the chamber with Volvagia," Link said, relieved to see his sworn brother safe and alive.

 

"I entered the chamber to challenge Volvagia before he could eat my people. Before I could get very far the door locked behind me and those two witches that cursed the Dodongo Cavern seven years ago appeared," Darunia said with a scowl as he crossed his arms over his chest. "They teleported me out of the temple to some dark prison. But then I awakened as a Sage and was able to teleport myself out to the chamber. Did you help my people as I asked Link?"

 

"Yes, I let all the Gorons and the Mogmas out of their cells and they escaped," Link assured him. Darunia sagged in relief, sighing happily.

 

"I really appreciate what you did. I thank you on the behalf of the entire Goron race!" Darunia said, looking at Link proudly. "You turned out to be a real man, just as I thought you would. And to think, I, the wild Darunia, turned out to be the great Sage of Fire," Darunia laughed heartedly while Link grinned. "Well, this must be what they call destiny."

 

"I guess it is," Link said with another smile.

 

"Nothing has made me happier than helping you seal that evil wench here," Darunia said with a booming laugh. "Hey Brother, take this!" The Goron held out one large hand, a red glowing light appearing over it. With a flash, a red medallion with the Triforce on one side and the Fire sage symbol on the other appeared and dropped into Darunia's palm. "This medallion contains the power of the fire spirits... and my friendship."

 

Darunia handed the medallion over to Link and patted the blond's shoulder. Link grunted slightly as Darunia patted the shoulder that just had been healed from Volvagia's bite and place the medallion in his pouch.

 

"Just do me one more favor Brother," Darunia said as he stepped back again. "Tell Link that I am proud of him and to watch over our Brothers until I can return."

 

"I'll tell him" Link promised with a nod. Darunia smiled and watched as Link was surrounded once again by the teleport crystal that would take him out of the Chamber of Sages.

 

"Don't forget- now you and I are true Brothers!" Darunia called just as Link disappeared.

 

*******

 

Sheik sighed as he waited for Link outside the Fire temple. His hair was plastered to his face and neck with sweat, all he wanted was a cool bath right now. He had watched as one by one the Gorons had exited the Fire Temple. The wooden bridge was now fixed, two of the first Gorons that had escaped the temple had rolled and jumped across the gap then later returned with the tools needed to fix the bridge. The Mogmas had tunneled their way out through the loose dirt.

 

Sheik wondered how much longer it would be when he felt the ground tremble under his feet. He yelped then quickly teleported out of the volcano center down to Kakariko Village, watching in amazement as Death Mountain spat out rocks and lava from its center. The ground shook again, sending Sheik tumbling onto his back. He quickly sat up and watched as the volcano gave one quick eruption, spitting fire high into the sky. Sheik could see the evil leaving the air above the mountain, leaving behind a blue sky. The ring of fire had disappeared from around the top of Death Mountain as well, leaving behind the normal ring of smoke that had always been there before. The volcano calmed quickly, letting Sheik teleport himself back to the center.

 

"Link you did it!" Sheik called happily as Link appeared.

 

"Sheik!" Link greeted with a grin. "Darunia is the Sage of Fire."

 

"People are talking down in the village, they saw the evil leave the mountain," Sheik said. "It's giving them hope."

 

"That's good," Navi said. "That hope gives them what they need to fight against Zelda."

 

"Let's get out of here, I've had enough of this heat," Link said. Sheik was quick to agreed, following Link back to the Goron City.

 

"Brother Link! Brother Link!" Goron-Link yelled as he saw the two blonds exit the tunnel in his and his dad's rooms. "Everybody has come back! Dad and you destroyed the dragon together didn't you?"

 

"Yes, we did," Link said with a smile. "He also asked me to tell you that he's proud of you and to watch over the other Gorons until he can come back. Your Dad is a sage; he's got to stay behind until Zelda is defeated."

 

"I'll do my Dad proud," Goron-Link said, puffing out his chest. "When I grow up, I want to be a strong man like you and my Dad, Link!"

 

"I think you are well on your way" Link said with a smile. Goron-Link grinned then ran out of the rooms to tell the others that his dad was ok.

 

"Ready to head back to the village Link?" Sheik asked. Link smiled and nodded, letting Sheik wrap his arms around him and teleport them back to the forest near the Sheikah village.

 

********

 

Zelda screamed in rage as she felt the death of Volvagia, the spell she cast on the dragon's bones breaking apart.

 

"Damn that boy!" The evil queen raged. She walked over to the window and looked out toward Death Mountain as she felt the ground tremble. The active volcano was back to normal and she had no doubt that the Gorons were once again free by now as her minion had no time to eat the blasted rock people.

 

Even more worrying, she knew from her spies that people in Kakariko Village were starting to talk. The events of Link's actions so far were starting to stir the rebellious air of the people.

 

"This cannot be allowed to continue," Zelda hissed as she turned from the window and headed toward a door behind her throne. The door lead to a room filled with spell books and bottles of different potions. In the middle of the room was a table which a figure laid upon.

 

The figure was an Elvin male who looked just like Link, except the boy on the table had black hair and if his eyes were open people would notice they were blood red. He was Zelda creation, a clone/doppelganger that would have all of Link's abilities. She could have used a Shadow-doppelganger spell, a spell that would bring the target of the spell’s shadow to life and would be equal in strength and abilities, but Zelda planed on using the boy on the table to crush the hopes of the people once Link was dead by making people think this dark version of Link was their hero gone bad.

 

"Your time is limited boy," Zelda said as she placed her hand on her puppet's chest, a smirk crossing her coldly beautiful face.

 

******

 

Link, Sheik and Navi appeared in the woods close to the Sheikah village.

 

"Why here?" Link asked as he saw where they were.

 

"I don't know about you but I need a dip after stewing in that volcano all day," Sheik said as he started to undress. Link's eyes lit up as he quickly agreed with the other boy and started pulling off his Goron tunic. Navi sighed and left them to go talk to some healing fairies nearby. As soon as Link kicked off his pants he quickly ran to the cool waters of the nearby pond. Sheik laughed as he watched his friend gleefully splash.

 

"Hmmm, this feels so good," Link said with a grin as Sheik joined him in the waters.

 

"It does," Sheik said as he dunked under the water, letting it soak his blond hair and wash out the sweat that had clung to him. When the red eye Sheikah came back up for hair, he chuckled as he watched Link play in the water like a child.

 

"We have a pond in the village that we use for swimming and fishing," Link said. "It's not as big as this pond. And it doesn't have a waterfall like the one in front of the Deku Tree grove does."

 

"What about for bathing?" Sheik asked, Link only mentioned swimming and fishing after all.

 

"Nah, there are some hot springs close to the village," Link said. "We use those for bathing." The blond dove under the water, scattering a small school of fish that had been swimming nearby. When he came back up, Sheik noticed the new scar the other blond was sporting.

 

"What happen to your shoulder?" He asked as he swam closer and touched the scar that looked like something had taken a bite out of Link. While it had been healed over with fairy magic, the wound had been so bad that it let a scar behind.

 

"Volvagia bit me," Link said as he reached up to touch the scar as well, his hand laying over Sheik's. "Right before I killed him."

 

"Does it hurt?" Sheik asked as he looked so he could see how large the bite scar was.

 

"When it happen it did," Link said, shivering as Sheik's fingers traced a path over the mark. "But not now, a fairy healed most of the damage."

 

"Well let the healer look at it anyway," Sheik suggested. "Just in case." Link agreed, his shoulder didn't hurt but it wouldn't hurt to make sure.

 

******

 

"Rotate your shoulder," The Sheikah village healer said as she examined Link. Link easily rolled the shoulder where Volvagia bit him. "No stiffness or pain?"

 

"No," Link said with a shake of his head.

 

"Not surprising, when a Healing Fairy uses their magic, they do a complete job," The elderly Sheikah woman said. "You're fine, just get a bit of rest before you go out adventuring again."

 

Link slid off the table and pulled his green Kokiri style tunic on. He grabbed his sword and shield on the way out the door where Prince Llyr was waiting for him.

 

"Can I do something for you your majesty?" Link asked when he saw the other blond. "Where's Sheik?"

 

"You don't need to call me 'your majesty' Link," Llyr said with a smile. "At least not until I'm crowned king. Sheik was sent off to check on something in Zora's domain. They have been having a bit of... well more than a bit I guess, of trouble."

 

"What's wrong in Zora's domain?" Link asked.

 

"It's frozen over, a spell from the witch Kotake," Llyr said. "I hoped once you feel up to it you would join Sheik there, you should get a clue to the next temple from there."

 

"It's in Lake Hylia" Link said.

 

"How..." Llyr asked surprised.

 

"It was one of the clues Sheik already gave me. The temples rest in a deep forest, on a high mountain and one under a vast lake," Link explained. "It could mean Lake Floria but Zelda attacked the Zora which means the temple has a connection to them right? Well Lake Hylia has more meaning for the Zora than Lake Floria. It could be the lake in Zora's domain but Sheik once told me it's where the Zora live so the Temple couldn't be there."

 

"I suppose that is the logical way to look at it," Llyr said with a chuckle. "Yes, the Water Temple is within Lake Hylia, Zora's Waterfalls as the lake is call is too small for a temple. But I still ask you to journey to Zora's domain, they have items you will need for the next temple."

 

"We'll go, don't worry," Link assured the prince. Llyr smiled and reached up to place his hand on Link's shoulder.

 

"Thank you Link," The blond said then left.

 

******

 

Sheik slowly walked as he looked over the frozen inner caverns of Zora's domain. He had already gone to Zora's Waterfalls to check the Zora village but the lake was frozen over solid. The rest of Zora's domain was much the same.

 

He had already seen the Zora King, the large fish man was incased in red ice, a type of ice that was so cold that a normal fire couldn't melt it and it was dangerous to touch it. It could only be melted by blue fire and if Kind Zora wasn't let out soon, the king could die. So could the rest of the Zora who were trapped under the ice if they weren't let out soon. Sheik wondered where Princess Ruto was, hoping she wasn't trapped as well.

 

The blond Sheikah walked past the frozen King Zora to the Fountain beyond the tunnel. Unlike the rest of the domain, this place wasn't frozen over completely. Sheik could see mini ice bergs floating around in the water; he could also see that the giant whale like god that the Zora worshiped wasn't there.

 

 _'How do you hide a giant fish?'_ Sheik wondered with a frown. He spied a cavern on the other side of the Zora Fountain, jumping from ice berg to ice berg to reach it. As Sheik walked further into the icy cavern he heard voices echo off the walls. Jumping to a perch high above, Sheik entered the cavern the voices were coming from. Below him were Princess Ruto and the two witchy sisters Koume and Kotake who were flying around just above the Zora princess on their brooms.

 

"Hee hee hee! I think we found the missing princess Koume," Kotake said as she hovered close to Ruto who was back up against the wall.

 

"Ho ho ho! You're right Kotake," Koume agreed as she hovered on the other side. "You thought you could hide from us."

 

"I'll get you for what you did to my people!" Ruto yelled up at the two witches.

 

"This one has spunk!" Koume said as she chuckled.

 

"I think she needs to cool off," Kotake agreed as she held out her right hand, an icy blue glyph appearing midair in front of her hand. "HA!" the ice witch flipped in the air, the bristles of her broom turning into a block of red tinted ice. She pointed it at Ruto who looked around wildly for an escape route. The Zora princess had avoided the same fate as her father and their subjects by hiding in the Ice Cavern, looking for a way to leave her kingdom. Ruto had a gut feeling she needed to get to the Water Temple in Lake Hyila but the water way to the lake was frozen over.

 

"AHH!" Ruto screamed loudly as Kotake's ice spell hit her, starting at her feet as the ice spell climbed up her form incasing her in powerful red ice. Kotake and Koume laughed loudly and disappeared in twin puffs of smoke. Sheik quickly jumped down to the ground and ran over to Ruto. "Get me out of here!" Ruto yelled as soon as she saw Sheik, recognizing the Sheikah symbol on the boy's chest and knew that the blond was one of the good guys. "Quick before the ice full covers me! There is a well of blue fire in the next room if you don't have any on you!"

 

Blue fire was a magical type of fire that was the only thing hot enough to melt red ice. The blue flames were only found in the Ice Cavern inside of Hyrule and were often harvested by the Zora who sold the flames to the shops throughout the kingdom as the fire never went out once inside of any sort of container or if on top of an enchanted candle. Not only was the flame good for melting red ice but also as a light inside of dark caves if one did not have a normal lantern.

 

"I will return quickly," Sheik said to Ruto then ran out of the room and down a tunnel.

 

"Hurry!" Ruto called behind him, her body was starting to numb as the super cold red ice climbed up her body. On the other end of the tunnel was another cave with a blue flame well in the middle of the room. Sheik threw several of his throwing needles at Ice Keese as they swooped down at him then took out a bottle from a inside pocket on his suit. He quickly scooped up a bottle full of the blue fire then ran back to the other cave room. The red ice had by this point incased most of Ruto's body, leaving one her head free.

 

"Please..." Ruto whispered as she saw Sheik before the ice covered her face. The shadow elf quickly dumped the blue flame out of the bottle onto the red ice, instantly melting the enchanted ice. Ruto fell to the ground coughing loudly as she landed on her hands and knees. "Thank you," the Zora princess said as her coughing fit died away as she stood. "Who are you?"

 

"My name is Sheik," Sheik said, bowing in front of the Zora princess. "I am to see if there were any way I can help."

 

"I need to get to Lake Hylia... to the temple," Ruto said. "I... I feel I need to be there. I don't think this everlasting winter on my kingdom will end until the source of the curse is destroyed. It's in the temple, I know it is!"

 

"I can take you as far as the river," Sheik offered. "I need to stay here to wait for my friend Link so I cannot take you further than that."

 

"Link?" Ruto asked with a gasp. "You know my fiancé?"

 

"Fiancé?" Sheik asked, his frown hidden by his face mask. He didn't like the sound of that for some reason.

 

"The river is fine," Ruto said with a wave of her hand, ignoring the question. "I can take it to the lake and make it to the temple from there. Make sure to send Link there as soon as you see him."

 

"Alright," Sheik agreed as he knew Link needed to awaken the sage in the Water Temple. "Hold tight your majesty" he said as he gently grabbed the Zora girl's arm with one hand and tossed a Deku nut to the ground with the other, teleporting them both outside. They reappeared by the river within Zora's domain. Ruto stumbled slightly, not really liking the feeling of teleporting.

 

"I can make it from here," Ruto said to Sheik before diving into the water, swimming with the current toward Lake Hylia.

 

"Gee, you're welcome," Sheik said to himself as Ruto swam off. He teleported back to the Ice Cavern to wait for Link once the Zora princess was out of sight.

 

******

Author note: (1) Megaton Hammer is a very odd name for a hammer so I figured that Megaton maybe the Goron hero's name.

 

(2) One thing I liked about Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword was that the keys and locks to the boss doors were different in each dungeon/temple. In Ocarina of Time, all the boss keys and locks looked the same in the game so I'm trying to give each one their own flare.

 

(3) In the game art, Volvagia looks like he's wearing a mask. Of course he's not, but a popular thing in the Zelda games is destroying the boss's mask (example: Helmasaur King - Link to the Past and Helmarco King - Wind Waker) to get to a weak point under the mask. As a reviewer pointed out, the boss battle with Volvagia is nothing more than a demented gave of whack-a-mole. In an attempt to making the boss battle different and more... realistic as a fantasy game can get, I went with this route of making Volvagia's weak point under a mask that has to be destroyed.

 

Also I'm still looking for a beta since the guy who was going to do it seemed to have changed his mind.

 

Edit 7-30-14: Nothing much changed here, just the little mistakes I caught.


	13. Chapter 13

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

 

Author Note: Sorry this took so long to get out, I had the biggest writer block when it came to the Ice Cavern.

 

Chapter 13

 

"Good luck Link!" Kain said as he waved goodbye to the older blond after the younger teen teleported the elder to the edge of the woods. Link turned and waved his hand, watching as Kain tossed a Deku nut down and disappeared in the flash.

 

"Link, we left Epona outside of Kakariko Village," Navi said once they were alone. "Without her, you're going to have to walk to Zora's Domain."

 

"It would be quicker with Epona though," Link said as he looked out over Hyrule Field. He remembered something that happened when he was younger, at Lon Lon ranch when Malon taught him Epona's song. "Let me try something first."

 

"What are you doing?" Navi asked as she watched Link remove the Ocarina of Time from his pouch. Link gave the fairy a smile then brought the magical instrument to his lips. He played the notes to the sweet song that Epona loved. The song echoed over the field, reaching the ears of the cinnamon colored mare. Epona lifted her head from the sweet grass she had been eating, her ears swiveling forward. She nicker and galloped off toward the woods.

 

Link and Navi waited for a few minutes after Link finished playing the song.

 

"I don't think it worked," Navi said. Link sighed and slipped the ocarina back into storage.

 

"I guess," He said. The blond looked up as he heard a horse neigh nearby, grinning as Epona galloped toward him. "Or maybe it did," he said with a grin laughing as his horse came to a stop and playfully bumped her head against Link's chest. "Good girl Epona."

 

"Alright let go then," Navi said. Link nodded and climbed up on Epona's back. He patted the mare's neck then nudged her forward with his knees.

 

"Heya," Link said, Epona nickered and trotted out of the tree line.

 

****

 

"Burrr," Link shivered as he stood at the mouth of Zora River.

 

"I guess the prince was right, you can just feel cold drifting from the Zora kingdom," Navi said, floating close to Link's shoulder as she tried to block the wind from blowing against her. Link trudged on up the river, wrapping his arms around himself to try and keep warm. The closer he got to Zora's Domain, the colder it got. Soon flakes of snow started to float down around them, clinging to Link's hair and tunic. Navi shivered as she climbed inside of Link's hat. "Nayru it's cold!"

 

"I wish I brought a thicker tunic to wear," Link agreed. They reached the head of the river and the waterfall that blocked the entrance to inner chambers of Zora's Domain. Link brought the Ocarina of Time up to his lips, shivering as he tried to play Zelda's Lullaby. It took two tries before he was able to play the song correctly and slowed the flow of the waterfall so he could enter the tunnel.

 

"Oh... Goddess..." Link said as they exited the tunnel.

 

"I didn't know it was this bad..." Navi said as she flew out of Link's hat and looked around. She flew over the ice, looking past the top layer. "I can see the Zora inside, the ice is so thick it goes all the way down. They are frozen in place."

 

"Where do you think Ruto is? Do you think she's under the ice too?" Link asked. "And where is Sheik?"

 

"I don't know... let's go see if King Zora escaped," Navi suggested. Link followed the fairy up the stair case to the royal audience chamber. "Din! He's encased in red ice!" Navi exclaimed when she saw King Zora.

 

"What is red ice?" Link said, looking up at the large Zora.

 

"It's a spell, ice so cold that it's dangerous to touch," Navi explained. "We need to find or go get some blue fire, it's the only thing that can dispel red ice. If we don't hurry King Zora will die."

 

"It'll take too long to leave and return to Kakariko Village," Link said. "We'll have to see if there is anything in here in Zora's Domain."

 

"Yes, you're right. Let's try Zora's Fountain, maybe we can ask Lord Jabu-Jabu," Navi suggested. Link edged past King Zora, careful not to touch the red ice that surrounded him, and ran out to the area behind him. Link slid to a stop as the fountain area came into view.

 

"Lord Jabu-Jabu is gone," Link said in shock. "Where could he have gone?"

 

"I don't know... it's not really important now. I see a cave on the other side of the lake, let's see what's in there. There's a path along the ice you can use to get in there," Navi said. She flew up under Link's hat to try and get warm again while the blond carefully jumped from ice to ice while avoiding or sending the rocks back at the Octorocks. With one last jump and a grunt Link pulled himself up into the lip of the cave.

 

"Burr, I think it's colder in here than anywhere else," Link said with a shiver, rubbing his arms and chest. Navi poked her head out from under the hat shivering.

 

"I feel the magic swirling around the place, I think it's always this cold. The cold in this cave is natural unlike everywhere else," Navi said. Link shivered again then got on the move, going deeper into the caves. The tips of Link's long pointed ears started to numb with the cold as did his nose. He couldn't wait until he was done with this place, he swore the cold was seeping in through his clothing, a summer Kokiri tunic was no place for an icy, cold place like this!

 

****

 

Link slowly and carefully walked across the ice covered floor, the Master Sword in hand. He had nearly fallen twice on the slippery floor and he was sure something was in the room with him. Around the edge of the room swung a Blade Trap which Link had to jump to avoid, nearly falling again.

 

"Keep a look out Link," Navi said. "There's something here... I can sense it."

 

Link just nodded slightly, he could almost sense it as well. Halfway across the chamber Link eyes widen and he gave a yelp as something made of ice appeared in front of him. He stepped back startled and slipped on the ice, landing on his back with a grunt.

 

"Link! It's a Freezard!" Navi yelled, flying out from under his hat in alarm. "Roll away before it starts to attack! If its icy breath touches you, you'll be incased in ice!"

 

Link heeded Navi's warning and rolled to the side just in time to avoid the stream of freezing cold wind that the Freezard spewed out in his direction. With a grunt Link go to his feet and swung the Master Sword in an arch, nearly slipping again as he swung at the ice creature.

 

"Rolw!" The Freezard gave a pain-like noise as the top half of its body shattered. Link swung his blade again and shattered the lower half of the Freezard.

 

"Link, there's another one!" Navi warned.

 

"Hey!" Link spun and crashed his sword into another Freezard that tried to sneak up on him. As he shattered the Freezard to pieces, a third one materialized behind the Elvin youth.

 

"Link!" Navi tried to warn as the Freezard breathed a stream of cold breath in Link's direction.

 

"Ah! Cold!" Link yelped as the freezing breath clipped his leg. He jumped back, swinging his arms to keep from falling on the ice, and then brought the Master Sword down on the Freezard. It made the same sound as the first one as Link hacked it to pieces. Movement from the corner of his eye gave Link enough warning to spin and cut a forth Freezard in half. Panting Link cast a watchful eye across the room to make sure there was no other Freezards, his shoulders relaxing when he saw none. He reached down to rub warmth back into his freezing leg.

 

"Good job, look the wall opened when you defeated the Freezards," Navi said. Link turned and looked, the fairy was correct. While he really hadn't much chance to notice before, part of the wall had opened like a door. Link carefully stepped into the passageway past it, stepping to the side when he heard the tell-tell scratching noise of a Stalactite falling. He had already encountered the loose Stalactites near the mouth of the Ice Cavern where he had nearly been hit by one.

 

Midway through the passageway the pair came across another Freezard which Link dispatched like the first ones.

 

"To bad we don't have a fire spell," Navi said as the Freezard was defeated. "A fire spell would melt these things in no time flat."

 

"I don't even know where to find one," Link said as they continued.

 

"Maybe the Great Fairies know one," Navi said. "They have knowledge of spells that haven’t been seen by humans for years."

 

"Do we even know where the other Great Fairies are?" Link asked as they reached the end of the passage way. "What in the name of Din is that?" He asked as he pointed at the large double sided spinning scythe.

 

"It's a scythe, it might be something the Zoras put in," Navi said. "You know, to stop thieves." Link looked around the chamber, careful not to get to close to the spinning blades. He could see two other passageways but both were blocked by more red ice. And up on a ledge he could see bars covering a doorway.

 

"Do you see anything that can open that door?" Link asked.

 

"Hmm," Navi flew off to circle around the chamber then stopped above the spinning scythe, making Link groan. "I sense something under here." (1)

 

"Great," Link muttered to himself as he eyed the trap. The whole thing looked like it was made out of ice; he couldn't melt it as he didn't know any fire spells so he had to think of another way to destroy it. "Do you think it would it would shatter if I hit it with the hammer?"

 

"You can try, just be careful," Navi said. Link nodded and removed Megaton's Hammer from his magic pouch, watching and timing the movement of the scythe trap. Once one of the blades passed by him, Link darted over to the middle and raised the hammer over his head.

 

"HEY!" Link stuck the middle piece with all his might, the blades wobbled for a second then started to spin again much slower this time. Link ducked down under the blade nearest to him, letting it pass over his safely then stood again.

 

"Look! I can see cracks in the ice," Navi said as she looked closer. "Hit it again."

 

Link grunted as he hit the top of the middle piece again, the blades jerking and slowing down even more. The cracks became larger and more wide spread, Link could even heard the ice groaning as they spread. Link raised the hammer again a third time and struck with a loud yell, the cracks spreading all the way to the bottom of the trap. The blades crashed to the ground as the middle piece shattered, sending pieces to scatter everywhere. Under the trap was a crystal waiting, which when Link hit it with his blade lit up and the bars blocking a nearby door on a ledge slid open.

 

"The door is open!" Navi said as she flew up to the ledge, floating in front of it. "Come on!"

 

"Hold your wings, I can't fly like you can," Link said as he placed the Master Sword back on his back and climbed up the ice to the ledge. He shivered as the wet cold from the ice seeped through his breeches and chilled the tips of his fingers. The door opened as he pressed against the door, also made of ice, and walked down a short tunnel to a smaller room with two blade traps and a Freezard waiting for him. Link sighed as removed the Master Sword, running and sliding across the ice. As he passed the Freezard, the Master Sword dug into the ice monster, causing it to give out a sound of pain. Link slid to a stop and quickly made short work of the creature before it could recover. When another Freezard didn't appear Link quickly sprinted down the next tunnel. The cold was starting to get to him, the tip of his nose numb and his finger tips freezing. He hoped by running he could warm himself up.

 

At the end Link and Navi entered a large chamber with icy pathways suspended over the solid ice floor. Link could see some Freezards gliding around in the background and a few Ice Keese flying above them.

 

"Link! That's it!" Navi said excitedly as she spied the large blue fire roaring merrily on one of the pathways. "That's the blue fire! It will melt the red ice!" Link grinned and ran over to the nearest pathway, climbing up the small ice-steps. "Look out! Don't let the Ice Keese touch you or you will be frozen!" Navi quickly warned when she saw one of the Keese headed straight for Link. Link whipped out the Fairy Bow and nailed the Keese with an arrow as it dived at Link. The Ice Keese disappeared in a flash as the arrow ripped through it.

 

Link carefully walked across the high icy path, taking out a Freezard or two that were in his way as well as any Ice Keese that swooped down toward him. With careful walking and timed jumps Link reached the roaring blue fire, sighing happily as the warmth from the fire started to warm his cold body up.

 

"Navi, how am I suppose to carry this fire to that red ice?" Link asked a few minutes later once he could feel his fingers again.

 

"You can store it in one of your bottles," Navi said as she flew lazily above the fire to warm up her own cold small body. "I suggest filling all of them just in case we run into any red ice inside the cavern so we don't have to keep coming back."

 

Link sighed and reached into his pouch, taking out all his bottles. All three of them contained healing fairies and as he let all three of the pink fairies out they hung in the air in front of Link.

 

"You do not seem to be very hurt," the fairy in the front said with a soft female voice.

 

"Sorry, I needed the bottles," Link said, waving a hand at the fire behind him.

 

"We need to melt some red ice," Navi said as she came to float in front of her fellow fairies. "King Zora is encased in it." The three Healing Fairies turned and spoke quietly among themselves.

 

"We understand the urgency," the fairy on the right said with a male voice.

 

"We shall wait outside the cavern for you," the fairy on the left, a strong female voice.

 

"When you are done we shall rejoin you," the original female fairy said.

 

"Thank you," Link said with a smile. The three fairies seemed to bow as they dipped in the air then turned and flew away. The blond teen watched trio of Healing Fairies leave then turned back to the magical blue flame. With Navi instructing him, Link managed to capture a part of the fire inside of his bottles. The bottles became warm from the fires inside which lead to Link holding one of the bottles in his hands as he backtracked to the chamber where the icy scythe had been.

 

Link could see two other passageways in the chamber other than the one he just came out of and the one that lead to the front of the caves. Both passageways were covered with red ice, blocking the way.

 

"Which one do we take?" Link asked Navi.

 

"Ummm..." Navi looked at both passage ways then turned back to Link. "I'm not sure. I guess just pick one." Link sighed as that was no help then looked at both red ice covered passage ways before taking the one to his right. Link opened one of the bottles and turned it upside down, gently tapping the bottom of the glass. The Blue Fire fell out and lit up brightly as it caught the red ice wall on fire, the ice melting away with a hiss.

 

The next large chamber had a large icy floor much like the last chamber and across the way Link could see another burner with blue fire burned merrily. He could also see another passageway on the side, the problem was that both were on high up ledges that Link couldn't reach on his own.

 

"Din... how do I get up there?" Link asked as he jumped down onto the floor, waving his arms to keep from sliding onto his ass. He caught onto a large ice block nearby to catch his balance on the ice. As he put his weight on the ice he yelped as it moved forward, sliding across the floor to one of the outcropping of ice that stuck out of the floor. He had fallen to the floor when ice block moved, groaning as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. "Ow."

 

"I think that's how you'll get up onto the ledges," Navi said. "Refill your bottle just in case."

 

Link only nodded as he carefully stood up and walked over to the block of ice. With another push it slid to another large chuck of ice then toward the ledge with the blue fire. He quickly filled the bottle then climbed down looking around as he tried to figure out how to push the block back to where he could use it to get onto the other ledge out of the room. When he looked at where the block was flushed against the wall, trying to figure out how to move the block away from the wall, his hand against the ice. His fingers were freezing and he could barely feel them now. The blond accidently pushed on the ice block, pushing down into a pit not far away, groaning loudly.

 

"Now what do I do?" Link asked with a groan as he stuck his hands under his armpits.

 

"Link, look!" Navi said. "Another ice block!" She flew over to the ice block that had seemingly grown out of the floor where the other had been. Link looked a bit confused but shrugged his shoulders then eyed the chucks of ice sticking out of the floor throughout the room. His purplish blue eyes followed a path from ice chuck to ice chuck until he was sure he knew a way to push the ice block in a way to reach the ledge to get out of the room. He carefully walked over to the block and with a grunt pushed it away from him, following after it to push it in all different directions onto it landed up against the wall with a low thunk.

 

Link grinned and pulled himself up on the ledge and walked down the passageway until he had to stop in front of a bunch of red ice. He pulled out a bottle, sighing happily as his fingers wrapped around the warm bottle, warming the skin and bringing feeling into them again. Once he could feel his hands again, the blond teenager dumped the blue fire onto the ground and let it melt away the red ice. On the other side of the ice was a door which Link entered.

 

"Wow..." Link breathed in awe, the room was beautiful; lights seemed to gleam through the ice on the walls and looked like twinkling stars. As Link walked further into the room he heard a low growl within the room. The blond's eyes narrowed at the sound and looked around the small room for the source. As he turned back toward the door, a Wolfos jumped out from behind a large chuck of ice along the wall, saliva dripping from its jaws as it growled at Link. What surprised him was that it was snowy white, he had never see a white Wolfos.

 

Link quickly drew his sword and blocked a swipe from the Wolfos's claws. It might be white but it attacked just the same as its gray forest dwelling cousins. He figured that if it attacked the same as the forest Wolfos's then it should have the same weakness. When the Wolfos swung at him again Link back flipped from the attack making the monster spin from the momentum of the swing. Link then swiped the blade across the creature's back. It howled a dying song and collapsed onto the ground with a thump, it twitched once then went up in blue flames, burning the body until it was gone. Link relaxed his stance as the body burned away, never noticing the second White Wolfos creeping up behind him.

 

"Look out!" Navi shouted in warning. Link turned and brought his shield in front of him for protection as the Wolfos leapt forward.

 

"HOOOWWLL!" a crack of a whip rang through the room and struck the Wolfos on its weak spot on its back, stopping the white beast in its tracks. The whip came around again to strike the same spot, ending the creature's life just like its mate. Link blinked and lowered his shield, looking up as a lean, limber form jumped down from the ceiling.

 

"We meet again, Link," Sheik said playfully as he coiled his whip back up.

 

"Sheik!" Link said happily. "Llyr told me you would be here."

 

"He sent me to assist the Zoras," Sheik said with a nod then sighed. "A waste of time it seems, this is all there is. With one exception, the Zoras are now sealed under this think ice sheet."

 

"Everyone?" Link asked.

 

"I did manage to rescue the Zora Princess from the witches, they tried to incase her in red ice like her father," Sheik said, "but she left to head to the Water Temple. Link, this ice is created by an evil curse. The monster in the Water Temple is the source and unless you shut off that source, this ice will never melt."

 

"I understand," Link said. "Ruto, she's the Sage of Water isn't she?"

 

"Why do you ask?" Sheik asked.

 

"Well, both Saria and Darunia both were drawn to the Forest and Fire temples," Link explained. "And so far it's been people that I met as a child. Ruto was the one I had to save inside of Lord Juba-Juba and now she's gone to the Water Temple in Lake Hylia."

 

"You already figured out where the next temple is," Sheik said with a pleased smile behind his face mask. "I can teach to the next melody that leads to the temple then. Time passes, people move, and like a river's flow, it never ends." Sheik removed the Goddess Harp from its place on his back. "A childish mind will turn into a noble ambition... young love will become deep affection."

 

That struck a cord with Link for some reason, his blue eyes meeting Sheik's red ones.

 

"The clear water's surface reflects growth. Now listen, listen to the Serenade of Water... and reflect." Link's eyes closed as he listened to Sheik place, memorizing the notes so he could play it back on the Ocarina of Time. Like the first two times, the two blond youths played a duet, the sweet soft melody seeming to swirl around the small icy chamber.

 

Link gasped softly as the music of the Serenade of Water filled him, it was like a chilly rushing brook, water trickling down his skin. The soft babble of the water as it ran over the rocks that helped his mind to clear. The Elvin teen let out a breath as he opened his eyes, Sheik giving him a knowing look.

 

"Link, I will see you again," Sheik promised. He stepped back and tossed a Deku nut onto the icy floor. Link held up a hand to block out the blinding flash from the nut as Sheik teleported away.

 

"Well... he's gone again..." Navi said once the spots in her eyes went away.

 

"We'll see him again," Link said as he turned to investigate a chest on the far side of the room. He had noticed it when they entered the room and was curious to what was inside. He popped open the top and reached in. "What are these?" He asked as he picked up two flat, heavy items from the bottom of the chest.

 

"They look like they could fit around your boots," Navi said. Link looked at the heavy items in his hands again and agreed with the fairy. Both ends of the items were raised up and looked like they could hook around his boots. He closed the lid of the chest and sat on top of it, sliding both of the items on. As Navi had guessed, both of them fit perfectly on the bottom of Link's Kokiri style leather boots.

 

"These are really heavy," Link said as he stood and took a step. He found he couldn't walk very fast with the iron soles on and each step let out a loud clang.

 

"Oh, these must be what Prince Llyr was talking about!" Navi said. "I'm sure they are heavy enough to allow you to walk under water."

 

"Yeah, but I wouldn't be able to breath," Link pointed out.

 

"Hmmm," Navi thought about it for a minute. "That is true. Well, I'm sure we can come up with something, maybe we can visit the Great Fairy and she can make it so you can breathe under water."

 

"Maybe," Link said as he removed the iron soles off the bottom of his boots and tucked them into his pouch. "Let's go."

 

"Yes, we still have to free King Zora," Navi agreed as she followed Link out of the room.

 

*****

 

Outside of the Ice Cavern night had started to fall, making the chilly air even colder. Link shivered and rubbed his arms as the bitter cold wind blew past him. Outside, floating above the alter where the Zora's guardian god had laid, was one of the healing fairies waiting on Link.

 

"Hero, when you are done with your quest to free his majesty, return here," It was the male fairy who had waited on him. "We sense one of the Great Fairies nearby, we are sure she will help you on your quest."

 

"Really?" Link said.

 

"Indeed, I will lead you to her after you return," The healing fairy said. Link thanked him and quickly ran down the short tunnel that ran from the Zora Fountain to the throne room where King Zora sat frozen within a large block of red ice. Link took one of the two remaining warm bottles and tapped the bottom of the glass, letting the blue fire fall onto the ice to melt it away. The air was filled with hissing steam as the fish king was set free.

 

"Oh!" King Zora said as he suddenly found himself able to move and breathe again. He looked down at the young Hylian teen standing, with a blue fairy hanging in the air above him, across from him. "I've come back to life! Was it you who saved me?" There was something familiar about the boy but he, King Zora De Von XVI, could not put his fin on where he seen the blond teen before. (2)

 

"Err, yes your majesty," Link said with a slow nod.

 

"Don't be nervous," King Zora said. "How can I ever repay you?" The king peered at Link, trying to think up of a good reward for his savior. "It looks like you have a hard time breathing underwater. As an expression of my gratitude, take this to the Zora in the store and he will give you a Zora Tunic. With it, you won't choke underwater." He wrote out a note on a sheet of paper and pressed his royal seal to the bottom.

 

"Thank you," Link said, relieved that he had a way to get around underwater now, as he took the paper from the king.

 

Downstairs Link found the shop that King Zora had mentioned, the entrance covered in more red ice. Using his last bottle of blue fire, Link melted away the ice to open up the space once more.

 

"You the one who opened the door?" A Zora behind the counter asked as Link entered. "Thanks for that, I was afraid I was going to be stuck in here."

 

"You and the King are the only ones who are around out there right now," Link said as he handed the paper to the Zora. The Zora read the request from his King and nodded as he took down one of the requested tunics off a shelf.

 

"Here you are, one Zora Tunic," The Zora said as he handed it to look.

 

"Just how does this work?" Link asked as he ran his hand over the tunic. He could feel each of the scales under his fingers that made the tunic up.

 

"Put it on and it allows you to breathe right air out of the water without taking any water in," The Zora explain. "The first time you try it you might panic. Just remember to stay calm and breathe slowly until you get use to it." Link didn't think he liked the sound of that but nodded his head anyway and headed back upstairs to meet the healing fairies back in the fountain.

 

*****

 

**Boom!**

 

Link ducked down to avoid the flying shards of rock as he blew up the wall blocking the way to the Great Fairy. The male healing fairy, who was back in one of the bottles alongside the two female fairies, had lead Link over to a large stretch of wall next to a lone tree in the Zora Fountain. Knocking on the rocky surface produced a hollow sound which showed that there was something on the other side. As the ringing in Link's ears went away he looked at the new hole he created.

 

"Let's go," Navi said as she flew on ahead. Link followed her at a more sedated pace; the fairy fountain they found on the other side was just like the one back on the top of Death Mountain. He could see water running down the walls on all sides and in the middle of the cavern was a stone pool filled with rippling water. In front of the pool was the Triforce emblem. Link pulled out his ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby.

 

A soft laugh filled the air followed by a second that was much louder with a hint of crazy behind it as with a splash the Great Fairy who lived in the fountain burst forth. She was different looking from the Great Fairy of Power who had long blood red hair pulled up into a high pony tail and a tight revealing dress. (3)

 

"Welcome Link, I am the Great Fairy of Magic," The fairy said as she seemed to lie on her side in the air. This fairy had long pinkish red hair that was pulled back into three different pigtails. She was also very nude with only a collection of leaves covering her form. Link blushed heavily and adverted his eyes. The Great Fairy chuckled softly, the Hylian boy was so cute! "Allow me grant you a spell. With this you will be able to teleport between two points within the temple after making a warp point of course. I give you Farore's Wind!" A green light gathered between her hands then flew over to Link, flying around him once then entering his chest.

 

Link blinked and shivered like a cool breeze had blown past him and suddenly the knowledge of the spell entered his mind.

 

"Thank you," Link said.

 

"Don't forget you visit my friends and my other fountains," The Great Fairy said.

 

"Where are the other Great Fairies?" Navi asked.

 

"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell ya," The Great Fairy said. "Better yet, I'll mark them on your map." With a snap of her fingers, Link's map of Hyrule appeared in front of him. Another snap had little points of light appearing on the map where each of the other fountains was. "I had another fountain near Hyrule Castle but I had to abandon it after Zelda took over. Still, maybe one of the others moved in there. Whenever you are wounded, come to me and I'll heal your wounds." The Great Fairy winked and blew Link a kiss before laughing loudly again and disappearing back into her fountain.

 

****

 

"Whoa!" Link stumble a bit as he appeared in a flash of blue light in the middle of a stone platform in the middle of Lake Hylia. It was the first time he had ever used one of the warp songs that Sheik had taught him and he hadn't been prepared for the sensation.

 

"Oh my Goddess," Navi said as she looked out in the pouring rain at the lake. Lake Hylia was completely dried up barring the small pool of water at the bottom of the hill they stood on and the pool of water at the end of the water fall on the far side of the lake. The fairy observed that no matter how much rain fell and no matter how much water came from the waterfall, the lake did not seem to fill up at all.

 

"The monster inside must be affecting the lake just like Zora's Domain," Link said as he pushed his wet bangs out of his face, the rain water plastering the blond strands to his skin.

 

"We have to hurry," Navi said. Link nodded and quickly changed into the Zora Tunic. He walked over to the pool of water and looked inside. "There's a gate here, it must be the entrance to the temple."

 

"I guess, I don't see any place else it could be," He agreed. The iron soles were slid onto his boots, allowing him to sink to the bottom of the pool of water. He did panic for a second, surround by deep water and far from the surface. He forgot for a second he could breathe underwater now. He closed his eyes, trying to get his heart rate to slow down as he hesitantly took a breath. As the Zora from the store promised, air was the only thing that entered Link's body, allowing him to fully calm down. It was strange, there was no doubt about that, but he was able to focus on the task at hand now. He found the switch that opened the gate above it, using the Hookshot to pull it out of place. The gate slowly rose with a grinding rumble, allowing the blond to slide under it. (4)

 

****

 

Link surfaced on the other side of the gate and climbed out onto a ledge that over looked the Water Temple. In the middle of the long deep chamber stood a tall structure that had at least one door Link could see under the water. Across from him on another ledge was a large door with a lock in the shape of a water drop, no doubt the chamber were the boss of the temple hid, Link knew he couldn't entered that room without the key.

 

"Do you have any idea where we should go?" Link asked everything looked locked up or too high up for him to reach.

 

"Go to the bottom, I think that there is an open door way there," Navi said. Link followed the fairy’s line of sight, narrowing purplish blue eyes until he saw what she did. He dropped into the water and let the iron boots drag him to the bottom of the temple. He took steady breaths as he fought to keep the panic as the water closed in around him as he sank deeper and deeper in. Once he reached the bottom Link made sure not to look up, he had a feeling he would really panic if he saw how far from the surface he really was. As he headed for the open doorway they found, Link was glad that unlike outside of the water, he was able to walk normally in the iron boots under water.

 

The room at the end of the tunnel confused Link; he could see at least three torches in the room as well as a locked doorway.

 

 _'What good are torches under water?'_ He thought to himself before noticing the figure in the middle of the room who saw him at the same time.

 

"Oh, you... if I'm right, Link?" The Zora woman asked. "You're Link, aren't you?"

 

"Yes, I'm Link," the blond Hylain said.

 

"It's me, your fiancée, Ruto, Princess of the Zoras!" the Zora woman, Ruto proclaimed. Link stepped back startled a bit.

 

 _'Fiancée?'_ He thought to himself in confusion. He had already figured out that this was Ruto as Sheik had told him the Zora Princess had come to the Water Temple.

 

"I never forget the vows we made to each other seven years ago!" Ruto said with a wistful sigh and a dreamy look in her black eyes. She then scowled and stepped up to Link, poking him in the chest. "You're a terrible man to have kept me waiting for these seven long years. But now is not the time to talk about love." Ruto turned away from him, her hands folding against her chest. Link mouthed the word 'love?' behind her. He did not remember ever proclaiming to love her. Beside him Navi gave a nervous little laugh, she never took the time to explain to her charge what Ruto had done by her actions when they retrieved the Scared Stone of Water seven years before.

 

"I'm sure you've already seen it! Zora's Domain - totally frozen!" Ruto continued, turning to face Link again. "A young man named Sheik saved me from under the red ice, but my father and the other Zoras have not yet been rescued."

 

"I did save your father," Link said. "I freed him from that red ice stuff."

 

"Thank you," Ruto said. "I want to save the rest; I want to save them all! I want to save Zora's Domain! You, you have to help me! This is a request from me, the woman who is going to be your wife!" The Zora princess said with passion. Link jerked back in shock at the words.

 

 ** _'WIFE!?'_** He thought to himself.

 

"Link, you have to help me destroy the evil monster in the Temple, ok?" Ruto asked, not seeming to notice Link's reaction.

 

"Yes, I'm here to help," Link said as he recovered.

 

"Thank you, I'll head on ahead," Ruto said with a smile then started to swim up the hole in the ceiling. As soon as Link couldn't see her anymore, he turned all his attention to Navi.

 

"Wife!?" Link nearly yelled. "What did she mean by wife!? When did I agree to marry her!?"

 

"Well... remember what she said when she agreed to give you the Zora's Sapphire?" Navi said with another nervous laugh.

 

"Yes, whoever she gives the stone too she was engaged to, but you never explained what that meant," Link said. While he knew what a 'husband' and a 'wife' were from stories that Saria use to tell him, Link had no real concept what marriage was as the Kokiri had nothing like that.

 

"Well... it means to be married," Navi said.

 

"Married?" Link asked. "But I don't want to marry her."

 

"I didn't really think we would really see her again," Navi said. "We were going to just give Zelda the three Spiritual Stones and go back to the forest at least that was how I thought it would play out."

 

"Well how do I get out of this?" Link asked. The idea of marring Ruto just didn't sit well with him, not that she wasn't pretty but the thought make Link's heart ache for someone else though he didn't understand the feelings.

 

"Calm down, we'll figure out a way out of this," Navi said. "Come on, Ruto is waiting for us."

 

Link sighed, a pretty impressive feat under water, and removed the iron soles off his boots, floating up through the ceiling after Ruto.

 

******

 

Meanwhile Ruto reached the surface and pulled herself out of the water onto the ledge. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot as she waited for Link to join her.

 

"What is taking that man so long?" She muttered to herself. A noise behind her caught her attention and she turned quickly. "Who are you!?" A young Elvin teen who looked very much like Link, but with black hair and a dark tunic, stood in front of her. He looked at her with blank red eyes and quickly reached out, grabbing Ruto by the arm and teleporting the both of them before she had time to scream for Link.

 

By the time Link and Navi broke the surface, Ruto was long gone.

 

"Where did she go?" Link asked as he wiped the water out of his eyes. He checked the only door in the room but other than a map in a chest there was nothing or no one in the room. Ruto hadn't past them as Link and Navi floated up to the top floor and now she was missing.

 

"I don't know," Navi said worriedly. "Hey! Look at this, it's the Triforce." She spotted and floated over to an image of the Triforce on the wall.

 

"It's an odd place to place it," Link said, tilting his head to the side as he looked at it.

 

"Play Zelda's Lullaby, let's see what happens," Navi suggested. Link shrugged his shoulders and played the royal tune as he didn't have any better ideas and every time they came across the image playing the song made something happen. As soon as the last note played, the Triforce image gave a golden flash then as Link watched shock the water started to drain. Link quickly jumped back into the water and let it carry him back down to the bottom most floor. He noticed that as soon as the torch in the middle from before was out of the water a ball of fire appeared and lit it brightly.

 

"Well now we know how to control the water level," Navi said.

 

*****

 

"Wow..." Link looked around with wide blue eyes. The room he and Navi just entered was different from the others in the water temple. The room appeared to be endless, a water landscape with a lone tiny island in the middle of the room with a single dead tree. Everything seemed to be covered in a mist, giving the room a mystical look. The only thing out place was the door he just came in and another door across the way as both appeared to lead to nowhere as there didn't appear to be any walls.

 

It was a bit shocking to see after all the other rooms in the temple. The temple had been pretty straight forward; Link had found two more Triforce emblems that controlled the water level within the temple. He had also discovered that there were a couple of places where his Hookshot, a very useful item he picked up from the ghost of the Grave keeper Dampé, was too short to reach no matter where he stood.

 

"I don't like this," Navi said as she hovered over Link's shoulder. "There is something wrong with this place... you need to be careful Link, none of this is real." Link just nodded and carefully walked across the room, the water rippling under his boots as he walked. He passed the tiny island with the dead tree and reached the other door in the room. But as he reached to open the door a set of bars fell down, blocking the way. At the same time Navi sensed a new presence in the room with them and spun around.

 

"Link!" She called in warning. Link heard her warning in time to spin, drawing the Master Sword at the same time and brought it up to block the blade that been aiming at his back. Link grunted as he pushed his opponent back and quickly moved back to put some distance between them.

 

"Din!" Link exclaimed startled once he saw who he fighting against. "He looks like me!" The teen across from Link did look just like him; it was the same face and same body. The only difference was the boy across from him had black hair instead of strawberry blond; his skin was much paler than Links and his eyes, which had a blank look as if he wasn't completely there, were a blood red color. He also swore a smoky black tunic and his undershirt and pants were a light gray. Even the other Elvin teen's blade was like Link's, a dark mockup of the Master Sword.

 

The dark version of Link gave a yell as he moved in to attack Link again. The two elves matched each other blow for blow, neither of them gaining an upper hand as they moved around the room. Sometimes when Link attacked his doppelganger, the other would leap up and stand on the tip of the Master Sword then back flipped off the blade. Link was panting as they neared the tiny island in the middle of the room, he hadn't fought against anything like this before. As it was like fighting himself, the other seemed to know all of his attacks and what he would do.

 

Link yelled in alarm as his heel slid in the wet sand that surrounded the dead tree, stumbling to regain his footing. The other Link caught the Master Sword with the hilt of his own sword, jerking the Master Sword out of Link's hand. Now weaponless, Link thought quickly, and remembering the times he had to fight against Milo as a kid, reared back his fist and planted it in the middle of the other teen's stomach. Caught by surprise by the attack, the darker Link lost his breath and fell to the ground, dropping his blade as he wrapped his arms around his stomach, coughing as he tried to regain his breath.

 

As Link quickly kicked away the other's sword, the room wavered for a moment then changed as the misty landscape and the island disappeared, revealing the true appearance of the room that looked much like any other in the temple.

 

"What just happen?" Link asked, glancing over his shoulder when the bars blocking the doors rose up.

 

"You managed to defeat him," Navi guessed. "There is something different in the air, about _him_ , like the evil darkness that was there is gone." The Hylian and the Fairy looked down at the dark hair teen that had moved onto his knees, one hand wrapped around his stomach still as he gasped for breath. Link walked over to where the Master Sword landed and picked it up then slowly walked back over, sword at ready if his darker counterpart decided to attack.

 

Link frowned as he heard a sound from the other teen, it sounded like... crying? He hesitated for a second then reached down, touching the other's shoulder. The other Link jerked in surprise, falling over onto his rump as he tried to put some distance between himself and Link. Link was startled by the movement, taking a step back.

 

"Why did you hit me?" Link's doppelganger asked, his voice a little deeper that Link's. "That hurt!" Link and Navi were surprised by the other's eyes; while still red they were no longer blank and dead looking, reminding Link of the Sheikah instead of something evil and had a look of innocents in them. The eyes were also filled with tears as they looked at Link in fear. Navi on the other hand was struck by how child like this darker Link was, even more so that her own Link who still mostly had the mind-set of a child.

 

"I-I'm sorry?" Link said in a questioning tone.

 

"Hey! You attacked us first!" Navi said as she flew into the other Link's face. "He was just defending himself."

 

"I-I don't remember that," Dark Link sniffed as he rubbed the tears out of his eyes. "Y-you're not gonna hurt me again are you?" he asked fearfully.

 

"I guess not... as long as you don't attack me," Link decided. He didn't know what was going on but he didn't get the vibe of evil from the other boy.

 

"What do you remember?" Navi asked.

 

"Just waking up," Dark Link shrugged. "And the blond lady! She said I had to do something but I didn't want to, it made her really mad."

 

"Zelda," Link said, not surprised. He sheathed his sword and shield then held out his hand to the other boy to help him up. The other boy looked up at the blond with a wary, shy look then took his hand, letting himself be pulled up to his feet.

 

"I don't know, she just said she was my master but her game didn't sound like fun so I said no," Dark Link continued.

 

"And after that?" Navi asked. Dark Link shrugged his shoulders again.

 

"She got really mad and said these weird words and a light shot out of her hands," Dark Link made a motion as he was the one shooting the light from his hands. "Then nothing, I thought I went back to sleep and was having a bad dream until you hit me. That hurt too." he pouted at Link while his arms wrapped around his middle.

 

"Well... what do we do with him?" Link asked Navi.

 

"I don't know, I'm not sure how to handle this," Navi admitted. "There was an aura of evil around him but after you knocked his breath out it disappeared. This isn't anything I came across before."

 

"Do we leave him here?" Link asked uneasily, he didn't like the idea. He didn't feel right about just leaving his darker counterpart by himself in the room and where Zelda might get to him again. Plus neither of them understood just what he was either. A frightened look crossed the dark Hylian's face.

 

"Don't leave me!" Dark Link said, grabbing Link around the middle in fright and burying his face into the blond's chest. "That blond lady wanted me to do a lot of things I didn't like; I don't want to go back to her." Link hesitantly placed a hand on his dark twins back, looking up at Navi with a bewildered look.

 

"I guess we don't have a choice," Navi said as she watched them. "We do need to clean the temple of Zelda's evil but we can't just leave him alone. At least we should leave him with Sheik or someone else who can tell us more about what in the name of Nayru is going on!"

 

"Ok, let go of me for a minute," Link said to the other teen. Dark sniffed and let go of Link, setting back and nibbling his lip as he watched as the blond held out his hands until they started to glow green. "Farore's Wind!" a gust of wind circled around Link as he held up his hands above his head. The glow from his hands came together and formed into a glowing ball of green light which flew over to float in front of the door that he had original entered the room from.

 

Next Link took out the Ocarina of Time and motioned for Dark to come closer again.

 

"What was the pretty ball of light?" Dark asked, he had been amazed by the show of magic. It hadn't made chills go down his spine like Zelda's show of magic had.

 

"Just a spell," Link said. "A quick way for me to get back here. What I'm going to do next is a type of spell too but you need to hang on." Dark brightened and wrapped his arms around Link again while Navi flew under his hat. Link brought up the ocarina and played the Serenade of Water. In a flash both Hylian teens and fairy were swept away in a group of blue lights and out of the temple.

 

*******

 

Author Note: And there you go, that's my version of Dark Link. I've read about a lot of different Dark Links in TOOT fanfics. Some are evil, just like in game, and some where dark but not completely evil. But I've never seen one that was childish and kid like. I'm sure there a version out there somewhere I've just never seen it. This is one of the parts of the story I've been looking forward to writing.

 

(1) For some reason you can target the middle of the spinning scythe. In the real game you have to collect 5 silver coins but that seems silly in the 'real world' so I'm using the scythe instead. You can't really destroy the scythe in the game by the way, it's just something I'm doing for the story.

 

(2) According to Hyrule Historia this is King Zora's full name.

 

(3) All the Great Fairies in TOOT look the same, at least in MM they were different colors. I like in Minish Cap where each Great Fairy looked different from each other so I'm making the Great Fairies of Power, Courage and Wisdom look different from the Great Fairy of Magic who has the original look. Think of the other fairies looking a bit like the oracles from the Oracle of Seasons and Ages.

 

(4) I have never understood how the Zora Tunic worked. At least in Twilight Princess, the Zora Armor had a breathing mask that came down over your face when you were under water, that makes sense but the tunic never did.

 

Edit 8-3-14: Not much here, just little mess-ups found here and there that were fixed.


	14. Chapter 14

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

 

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

 

Author note: Special thanks to my new beta Leopardfire97 for going over this for me.

 

Chapter 14

 

 

Sheik grumbled to himself as he wrapped his arms around himself and knelt on top of the tall dead tree that rested on top of the Water Temple. The Sheikah youth was soaked to the skin from the constant rain that fell around him. It was depressing to look out over the empty lake bed of the once beautiful lake. The cloudy sky and the constant rain just made the whole atmosphere even gloomier.

 

 _'Ugghh, I wish was at home in my bed or even in one of the hot springs in the mountains,'_ Sheik thought to himself, he was chilled from the rain and the wind that blew. _'Be nice if Link was... wait! Stop thinking like that, Sheik,'_ he groaned and covered his eyes with his hand.

 

Sheik didn't know what he felt for the other boy, but he was sure he at least had a crush on his friend. Link had been in his thoughts for the last seven years, ever since he and his people escaped from Kakariko Village to the hidden Sheikah village within the forest. All of Sheik's training over the years had been so he could be by Link's side and help his friend. He hated that he couldn't go with Link into the temples but that part of the quest was for Link alone with only his guiding fairy by his side. At least Sheik was allowed to help outside of the temples.

 

Sheik's drifting thoughts was cut short as a streak of soft blue light raced out of the underwater entrance to the temple to the stone platform a few feet away from the teen. The light formed into two figures with a flash.

 

"Link?" Sheik called as he leapt down to the ground and hurried toward his friend, worried and wondering why the other blond had left the temple before completing it. "Are you hurt? Why did you..." Sheik stopped short as he registered that there was a third person with them. "Who?"

 

"It’s a little complicated," Link said as Dark let go of him and looked around curiously. Dark Link had never in his short life been outside. He had only been in Zelda's tower a short time then inside the Water Temple. He looked up in the sky at the gray clouds and blinked as rain drops fell into crimson red eyes.

 

"Why is there water falling from above?" Dark asked.

 

"Link... he looks like you," Sheik said in disbelief. "A darker you, but still. What in the name of Hylia?"

 

"We'll explain, but can we do this someplace dry?" Navi asked.

 

"Err.. yes...," Sheik said. "Follow me." He waved his hand and led the short way over two bridges that were suspended across the lake bed to the shore. As they walked, Dark asked questions about everything, like a curious child. Sheik didn't know how to take this other Link and was burning with curiosity and worry about who he was.

 

Sheik led the other two Elvin teens to a house that stood on the edge of a short cliff overlooking the lake. On the top of the building stood a tall tower with a deck on top that would provide a stunning view of Lake Hylia when the lake was filled with crystal blue water.

 

"In here," Sheik said as he opened the door. "Hello? Doctor Mizumi?" (1)

 

"What is this place?" Link asked while looking around with wide eyes into the dark house. Sheik walked over to a torch on the wall and lit it, flooding the room with light.

 

"Oo!" Dark ran over to the table that was littered with all sorts of scientific equipment. "Pretty."

 

"Don't touch anything," Sheik said in warning as Dark reached up to touch one of the beakers filled with bright liquid.

 

"Awww," Dark said as he lowered his hand.

 

"This is Lakeside Laboratory," Sheik said to Link. "It's run by Doctor Mizumi; he studies the lake. It seems he's gone out for a while so we'll be able to talk."

 

"Is it alright for us to be here?" Navi asked.

 

"Yes, Doctor Mizumi doesn't mind visitors as long as you don't disturb his experiments," Sheik assured her.

 

"Ooo, look at the fishes," Dark said as he peered over into the pool of water at the end of the room. Link sighed and explained how they came across Dark and what had happen.

 

"Are you sure he's safe?" Sheik asked softly, glancing over his shoulder at Dark who had grown bored with watching the fish and was poking around on Doctor Mizumi's desk. Link bit his lip as he glanced over at Dark as well.

 

"Sheik, I honestly don't know," Link said just as softly. "He did attack me in the temple but... when he did, his eyes were so blank like he wasn't all there. But afterward, once whatever spell on him was broken, his eyes are like they are now. Deep down, I just don't feel any evil from him."

 

"Hmm," Sheik rubbed the back of his neck then looked up at Navi. "What about you, bug? What do you think?" Navi scowled down at the youth when he called her a bug.

 

"I agree with Link," she said after a moment. "I can tell he was created by magic but I can't sense anything evil about him."

 

"Well, what are we going to do with him?" Sheik asked.

 

"Look!" Dark ran over and happily held up a shell to show to Link. "Isn't it pretty?"

 

"It is pretty neat," Link agreed with his own childish curiosity looking at it.

 

"Couldn't you just take him back to your village?" Navi asked as she floated close to Sheik's ear so only he would hear her.

 

"The elders in the village wouldn't like that," Sheik said after thinking about it. "And... you may not sense anything evil about him Navi but as he was more than likely created by Zelda, she may somehow be able to use him to find out the location of the village. We just don't know enough about him or the magic used on him to know if it is safe." He watched as Link joined Dark in exploring the room.

 

"Isn't there someone in your village that could do to find out?" Navi asked. "I know the Sheikah have ways of finding the truth."

 

"This sort of magic is lost on us," Sheik said with a shake of his head. "It would have to be someone who has studied magic."

 

"Well... do you know anyone like that?" Navi asked.

 

"I do; King Ganondorf is rumored to have studied many branches of magic during his life," Sheik said.

 

"Ganondorf?" Link said, hearing the name of his savior as a child. "What about him?"

 

"Sheik said he might be able to help us with Dark," Navi said.

 

"Really?" Link asked, turning to Sheik who shrugged his shoulders.

 

"I think so. Mother always said King Ganondorf was a very good and powerful sorcerer," Sheik said. "And that he has studied many different types of magic."

 

"So we just go see him," Link said with a happy note in his voice, he hadn't seen his once rescuer since the man had rode away from the castle. What only seemed like a few days to Link, he knew it was seven years and he wanted to see how the man was.

 

"It won't be that easy," Sheik said. "The Gerudo may be our allies but they don't like us teleporting in unannounced, they are kinda iffy about that."

 

"So how do we get there," Navi asked.

 

"We could have gone over the bridge that went over the canyon near here but they cut it down seven years ago to keep Zelda's forces out of the desert," Sheik said. "But I can either teleport us across the gap or if your horse is powerful enough, she can jump the gap."

 

"Can we do that?" Link asked, perking up at the idea. "That sounds like fun!" Sheik laughed at the child-like eagerness on his friend's place, it made the other blond look so cute.

 

"Sure, if you think your steed can make it," Sheik said.

 

"Epona is the best, she can make it," Link said as he turned toward his dark twin. "Dark! We're going to see a friend of mine in the desert."

 

"What's a desert?" Dark asked.

 

"A place with lots of sand," Sheik said, waving for the others to follow. "Come on, if we're going, we need to go now. The sooner we get this sorted out, the sooner we can get back to the temples.”

 

Dark had no idea what sand was but was happy to follow Link outside. Link glanced up to the dark cloud filled sky with a sigh as he once again got wet.

 

"I'm happy to leave a little bit to get dry," Link comment with a shake of his head then took his ocarina out, playing the song to call Epona to him. Sheik chuckled softly but agreed with the blond. As soon as Link finished playing, he placed his first two fingers into his mouth and let out a sharp, shrill whistle. After waiting a few minutes, Epona galloped into the lake area, nickering in greeting as she bumped Link lovingly in the chest.

 

"Wow," Dark said, walking closer. "Can I touch it?"

 

"Her," Link said. He took one of Dark's hands to place it gently on Epona's neck. "Epona is a she." Dark giggled as Epona twisted her head around to sniff at the dark hair teen. A second whinny filled the air as a large gray and black dapple stallion galloped over.

 

"Good boy, Kaze," Sheik said as he patted his steed's nose.

 

"You have a horse?" Link asked.

 

"You can teleport; why would you need a horse?" Navi asked.

 

"Teleporting takes energy to do, bug," Sheik said giving Navi a flat look. "Teleporting a short distance is one thing but a long distance, with or without other people, takes a lot more energy from me. So I need to rest in-between teleporting. Also, I like riding."

 

"Just leave him alone Navi," Link said as he swung up onto Epona's back then held out his hand for Dark. The dark hair Hylian grabbed the offered hand and let Link hoist him onto Epona's back. Sheik smirked as Navi flashed an annoyed red, it was fun ruffling the fairy's wings. He climbed up onto Kaze's back and pointed out of the way out.

 

"Follow me!" Sheik said, kicking Kaze gently in the sides. The stallion neighed loudly and took off across the damp grounds around the lake. Epona nickered and took Kaze's burst of speed as a challenge, the mare dashing off after the other horse with her two riders yelling in joyful delight.

 

****

 

Sheik, Link and Dark rode over half the day to Gerudo Valley. Gerudo Valley was just one of few entrances to the desert but was the only one to the fortress that the Gerudo lived and trained in. It was also the only way into the part of the desert that was called the Haunted Wasteland, a span of desert that led to the Desert Colossus where the Spirit Temple rested. There was a rumor that there was a palace deep in the desert that the Gerudo royal family lived in but no one had ever seen it.

 

The large desert was home to several other places and relics of the far past, much of the sands hid the history of Hyrule before it was called Hyrule. Sheik only knew a little, tales told at his mother's knee when he and Kain were young.

 

 _'If we defeat Zelda... or when we defeat her... maybe Link and I could explore the rest of Hyrule, discover all of its rich history,'_ Sheik mused with hope in his heart.

 

"Wow, that's deep," Link voice interrupted Sheik's thoughts. He looked over at Link; the blond and the dark boy who looked like him were both looking over into the canyon that cut through the valley.

 

"Be careful you two!" Navi asked, flying in front of the pair. "You could fall off. Sheik, are you sure it's safe to jump that?"

 

"Don't worry bug, if the horses feel like they can't jump it, they will stop," Sheik said.

 

"We'll be fine Navi," Link assured his fairy partner as he guided Epona with his knees and his hand on her white mane. "Epona can jump this with no problem." Epona gave a soft whinny as if she agreed, her head bobbing up and down. Link led Epona close to the small pool and waterfall nearby that they had to go over to enter the valley.

 

"Hey!" Link kicked Epona's flank, urging his horse into a run. Dark's arms wrapped tightly around Link's waist and his face pressed against his lighter counterpart's back as Epona raced over the valley floor toward the remains of the bridge. As she reached the edge, Epona's muscles bunched as she took jump to leap over the span of the canyon. Link's breath caught in his throat just for a moment then escaped with an excited "YYYYOOOOOO!"

 

Epona landed on the other side of the broken bridge smoothly, throwing her head with pride as she brought her master and the elf that looked like her master safely to the other side.

 

 **".... ARE YOU CRAZY!?!"** Navi yelled as she raced through the air to reach her charge.

 

"That was fun," Dark said with a giggle, he had been a little scared but Link hadn't let anything happen to them.

 

"We should do that again," Link agreed with a grin.

 

"No no no no NO!" Navi yelled, bobbing up and down in the air with each 'no'. "You are _not_ doing that again! You could have been killed!"

 

Meanwhile Sheik guided Kaze to follow Link and Epona across the canyon, the stallion landed just as easily as the mare had.

 

"Do be quiet, bug," Sheik said with annoyance. "We're fine, you can calm down." Navi grumbled softly but otherwise dropped the subject.

 

"Why is there a tent here?" Link asked, pointing to the large white tent off to the side.

 

"I don't know," Sheik said as he slid off of Kaze's back. He patted his steed's neck as he left Kaze to wonder around while Link and Dark slid off of Epona who wondered over to join Kaze. "Let's find out."

 

"It's really hot here," Link said as he reached up to wipe the sweat off of his forehead.

 

"The desert is like that," Sheik said with amusement as he pushed the cloth over the doorway of the tent out of the way.

 

"Where in the name of Nayru have you four been!?" A booming voice asked as they entered. "Wait, you're not my lazy employees."

 

Sheik turned to look at the man the voice belonged to, his red eyes widening.

 

"Mutoh!" He said in surprise. The large, broad bald man standing to one side of the tent narrowed his eyes as he peered at Sheik then gave a loud booming laugh.

 

"HHAAA! Little Sheik, Impa's son!" The man Sheik called Mutoh said. "I haven’t seen you since you and your family left Kakariko Village! My you have grown."

 

"You haven’t changed at all," Sheik said with a laugh. Link gazed at Mutoh with his head tilted to the side; he tried to remember where he had seen the man before.

 

"Oh!" Link said as he remembered. "You're that man from seven years ago, with those guys running around working on Kakariko Village."

 

"Some of me and my men's greatest works," Mutoh said with pride.

 

"Mutoh, what are you doing here?" Sheik asked. Mutoh scowled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

"Those Gerudo thieves, they broke the bridge seven years ago," he said. "I want to fix it, but those idiot workers I brought with me are gone and I can't get word out to the others to come to replace them." (2)

 

"Mutoh, you do know that the Gerudo broke the bridge so Zelda's army couldn't get to them right?" Sheik asked eyes narrowed. "She didn't ask you to repair the bridge did she?"

 

"Of course not, as if I would take any orders from _her_ ," Mutoh said with a wave of his hand. "Something is beating that evil witch's forces back, light has returned to Hyrule. With the peace returning, I thought the bridge should be fixed."

 

"How did you even get over to this side," Link asked. "We had to use our horses to get over here."

 

"That's not important," Mutoh said with another dismissive wave of his hand.

 

"Mutoh, where _are_ your men?" Sheik asked. The large tent was set up with a cooking fire in the middle and a pile of bed rolls in the corner. There was only one other person in the tent, a skinny man with shoulder length red hair was that sitting on the far side of the tent staring into the fire. Dark yawned in boredom and walked over to stand next to the fire, looking at the sitting man with curiosity.

 

"Those idiots said that working as carpenters isn't cool, and they went to the Gerudo's Fortress to become thieves," Mutoh said with a scowl. "I haven’t seen then since and I'm not going up to that fortress myself, I know what those women think about men."

 

Sheik groaned and rubbed his face.

 

"Hylia, they really are idiots," he said. "This is going to make everything harder."

 

"Why?" Link asked.

 

"The Gerudo won't be happy right now, they may not even talk to us," Sheik said turning to his friend. "They really don't like people showing up unannounced and demanding to join their group."

 

"So what do we do?" Link asked. Sheik bit his lip, he really didn't know.

 

"Would Ganondorf be there now?" Navi asked.

 

"I assume so," Sheik said.

 

"One of us should go into the fortress find him, talk to him and explain what is going on," Navi suggested. "You could just teleport to where he is," she told Sheik.

 

"It doesn't work that way," Sheik said. "I can't teleport anywhere I've never been before and I can't just teleport to a person's side without knowing where they are."

 

"I'll go," Link said. Sheik and Navi looked over at him in only slight surprise.

 

"Link, this is very dangerous," Sheik said.

 

"I know, but it can't be any more dangerous than the temples," Link said. "Navi's right, we've got to talk to him and I'll go."

 

"You can't go alone," Sheik said.

 

"Sheik... we can't drag Dark in there with us and we can't leave him by himself," Link said very softly. Sheik scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, knowing Link was right. Someone had to stay and watch over Dark for several reasons.

 

"Fine," Sheik said with a sigh. "Just be careful will you?" Sheik said as he placed his hands on Link's shoulders. Link smiled and nodded his head.

 

"While you're in there, look for my lazy employees," Mutoh cut in.

 

*******

 

Link waited for the sun to set before setting out for the fortress, remembering the first and only advice that Ganondorf gave him when he was still a child.

 

 _'If you plan on sneaking into places, it's better to do it at night.'_ That had been what Ganondorf had told him. The advise had helped him sneak into Hyrule Castle near the beginning of this crazy adventure and he hoped it help him now.

 

There were still problems of course, these people who were master thieves and knew all the tricks. Link just hoped luck was on his side as did Navi.

 

Link peered around the rock wall at the pair of Gerudo women that patrolled the outside of the fortress. Their eyes were eagle sharp as they watched their surroundings while marching back and forth.

 

 _'How in the world do we get past them?'_ Link thought to himself. He could see an open doorway nearby, but he had to past these two guards to get to it. He was starting to wonder if he could run toward the doorway to get inside when he heard someone shout. Stiffening, Link drew back further into the shadows to hide worried that he had been discovered.

 

The blond relaxed slightly as a younger Gerudo girl ran up to the two women. The two guards shared amused looks as the excitable girl spoke but stopped to listen to the younger female. Link seeing his chance slowly eased out of the shadows and ran toward the doorway while the guards' backs were turned.

 

"That was too close," Navi said in a soft tone as she peeked out from under Link's hat. "Nayru must be looking out for us."

 

"Let's wait until we're done before we thank the goddesses," Link whispered as he crept through the fortress. The corridors were bare, Link winced as his footsteps seem to echo but there didn't seem to be anyone around to hear him. Down the end of the hallway Link could see a room that was almost just as empty as the hallways had been. There were a couple of skulls hanging on the wall of some sort of animal that had horns and was decorated with feathers and beads. On one side of the room were the bars of a cell and inside was a man who noticed Link and Navi the same time they noticed him.

 

"Hey! Over here," the man called in a loud whisper waving his hands through the bars of the cell.

 

"It's one of the carpenters," Navi said as they quickly ran over.

 

"I don't know where you came from but I'm glad to see you," the man inside said. "You've got to get me out of here!"

 

"I plan to, but I need to find the key to this lock," Link said, pointing to the door's lock that was shut tight.

 

"Well, be careful while you look around. A guard... could...be..." The man's eyes widen in alarm and fear, pointing to somewhere behind Link. "WOO! Look out!"

 

Link ducked and rolled out of the way as a scimitar wielded by a Gerudo guard crashed into the space Link had been. Link used a few curse words he learned from the adults in Kakariko Village, and quickly drew the Master Sword and his shield.

 

"I don't know where you came from," the woman said as she drew second scimitar from her hip, holding one blade in front of her and the other over her head. "But this is as far as you'll get, Hylian scum!" The Gerudo woman lunged at Link who yelped and cursed again, blocking her attack with his shield while swinging his own blade at her. It caught one of her blades as she brought one up to block his attack, knocking it to the side. Link quickly back flipped to put a bit of distance between the two of them.

 

Link and the Gerudo guard traded several hits, Link didn't want to hurt the woman and was trying his best to disarm her. The woman was doing the same but only because they were ordered to capture any Hylian or Humans that found their way into their lands so they could be questioned first. With a lucky thrust, Link caught one of the scimitars in the guard's hand with the hilt of the Master Sword and knocked it out of her hand across the room. With only one weapon left, the guard renewed her attack with vigor.

 

Wanting to end this fight quickly, Link ducked under the next swing of the guard's blade then slammed his shoulder into her middle. The Gerudo gave a scream as she was knocked backwards to the floor, dropping her second sword in the process. Link quickly kicked the sword away then pointed his sword at the woman.

 

"I don't want to hurt you," Link said, panting softly. The woman was panting as well, glaring at Link but the blond boy could see a glint of confusion as he made no move to further attack her. Take her chance to escaped, the woman rolled back, flipping up her hands then landed on her feet. Once on her feet, she jumped up into the hole in the ceiling that she had entered from. Once she disappeared, a stone slab fitted back over the hole, hiding it from view. Link sighed a breath of relief and sheathed his sword.

 

"What's that?" Navi asked as she flew over to a glint of sliver on the floor. "It's a key! The guard must have dropped it."

 

"That was lucky," Link said as he picked the key up. The carpenter was jumping excitedly as Link opened the door to the cell, quickly running out once the door was open.

 

"Thank you!" The man said. "My name is Ichiro and I'm one of the carpenters that work for Mutoh. We were tired of working for him and wanted the easy life so we came up here to join the Gerudos. But they threw all of us into different cells."

 

"What were you thinking?" Navi asked. "You didn't really think that the Gerudo would let you join them did you?"

 

"I did," Ichiro muttered embarrassed. "But now I'm ready to go back to the boss. My three friends are still locked up somewhere in this fortress, please find them."

 

"I will, just get out of here before that guard comes back," Link said. Ichiro didn't need to be told twice, he took off down the hallway and out of the fortress. The guards outside were so shocked and surprised to see the man run past when they were sure he was locked up didn't give chase at first as he rushed by. Once they got their wits together to give chase, Ichiro was long gone.

 

*****

 

"Your majesty," Ganondorf turned away from the table on which maps of all of Hyrule was spread out on. The Gerudo king turned to face the young Gerudo woman kneeling on the floor in front of him. The last seven years had seemed so long as he and his people fought in the war against the dark queen Zelda. His fiery red hair had grown out to his shoulders and he now sported a beard along his jaw.

 

"Rise," Ganondorf said, waving his hand at the woman. "What is it?"

 

"Sire, there is a young Hylian man in the fortress," The woman reported as she stood.

 

"And you haven’t captured him yet?" Ganondorf asked. The woman flushed and looked down at the floor.

 

"I tried... but he defeated me," She admitted. Ganondorf looked at his guard again, she has smudges of dirt on her face and arms, her clothing had small rips and there were a few shallow cuts along her skin. "He... he was very strange, Sire."

 

"How so?" Ganondorf asked.

 

"He... he claimed that he did not wish to hurt me. He had me defeated and did not stop me from escaping," The woman said. "He let one of the men we captured two weeks ago out and let him escape."

 

"The Hylian men are unimportant," Ganondorf said with an unconcerned wave of his hand. The cowardly men had already been found not to be spies for Zelda's forces. He was much more interested in the young man letting them free. "Describe the man you fought against."

 

Confused the Gerudo woman described Link to Ganondorf. He could hear a small bit of admiration in her voice.

 

"I see," He said once she was finished. "Was there anyone else with him?"

 

"Yes Sire, he had a fairy with him strangely enough," She confirmed.

 

"Go, let him continue his way," Ganondorf ordered. "The guards at the other cells are allowed to fight him but are not to kill him."

 

"Understood," The Gerudo guard said with a salute then turned, quickly leaving the room. Once she was gone Ganon chuckled as he leaned back against the table.

 

"So after so long you woke up, Kitten," He said to himself with another chuckle. The first time he had spoke to the Sheikah leader Impa after their flight from Hyrule Castle he asked about Link; he had wanted to bring the orphan boy to safety with the Gerudo. Impa informed him that was impossible as after he had drawn the Master Sword he had been placed in an enchanted sleep until he was strong enough to wield the legendary blade. Ganondorf would monitor Link as the boy sneaked around his fortress; he couldn't wait to speak to the blond once again.

 

*****

 

"This is a lot easier than I thought it would be," Link said as he stood over the body of the Gerudo guard he had knocked out. He felt bad about it, he had hit her in the back of the head with a nearby pot and he knew she would have a headache when she woke up.

 

"Well maybe you're better at sneaking around that you thought you were," Navi suggested though she agreed with him. The Greudo had been master thieves for years; sneaking around when they wanted to break into somewhere was part of the job and you would think they could catch someone on their own turf.

 

Link had worked all through the night to find and release two more of the carpenters Jiro and Sabooro after fighting two more guards like the first. The sun was starting to rise in the east and they only had one last prisoner to set free. Link peered around the corner, the hallway was clear and he could see the jail cell in the back of the room.

 

"Be careful Link," Navi whispered. "You know there has to been another guard in this room too."

 

"I know," He whispered back.

 

"Hey, over here!" The final carpenter said, waving his hands. "Boy, I'm so glad to see you! Please tell me you're here to spring me."

 

"Yes, I already let your friends go," Link said with a nod.

 

"Oh good, I'm Shiro and if you get me out of here, we'll all do something for you," Shiro promised. "Just watch out, there might be a guard some... where... Look out!"

 

Link had already been prepared for an attack. He ducked the blade swung at his head, rolling to the side and turning as he jumped to his feet to face his foe. He blinked in surprise, instead of a woman like the last three times; facing him was a large figure that was cloaked head to toe. Link could tell that the other was a man but he couldn't tell much else except they had familiar golden eyes. The man held a golden hilt scimitar blade in each hand and Link had a feeling the man knew how to use them. (3)

 

With a yell the man rushed Link who swore in Nayru's name as he brought up the Master Sword to block. The man swung his blades with wide, precise swings as he pressed his attack against Link. The teen grunted as he struggled to keep up with each swing.

 

"Link, don't let him corner you against the wall!" Navi warned. Link couldn't chance a glance behind him to see how close he was to the wall; instead he ducked under another swing of his foe's sword then took a chance to let in an attack of his own. The Master Sword cut off a strip of cloth as the man jumped back away from Link to land across the room. One scimitar was placed in a scabbard at the man's waist then held up a hand where a ball of magic gathered in his hand.

 

"HA!" The ball of magic was tossed at Link. Link yelped and reacted on instinct, using the same tactic he used on the Banshee in the Forest Temple, swinging the Master Sword in an arch. The blade mad contact with the magic and sent it flying back at the man who's golden eyes widen in surprise before it made contact with him. The man screamed in surprised pain and fell to the ground, the magic crackling around him prone body. Link ran forward with a yell, Master Sword raised to attack.

 

"HEY!" Link swiped at the man, leaving shallow cuts in each arm. Before he could do more damage, the magic dissipated allowing the man to move again. He grunted as he swung a sword at Link's feet.

 

Link took a page out of Dark Link's book and jumped up to land on the blade, balancing on the end. The other male chuckled and pulled the blade back. Link back flipped and quickly backed away. The other scimitar was drawn again and again the man attacked with wide swings with Link blocked with his sword and shield while attacking the man when he got the chance. Link was soon panting; this man was a lot tougher than the Gerudo guards than before.

 

 _'I've got to end this!'_ Link thought as he ducked under an attack from the man then raced past him to the other side of the room. Link placed the Master Sword in its scabbard and the shield on his back then quickly took out the Fairy Bow and one of his arrows. Aiming at the ghutra on the man's head, the arrow caught the side of the cloth pulling it off of his head. (4)

 

The arrow landed deep in the wall with the black clothing hanging from it loosely from the wall. The man glanced back at the arrow then started to laugh loudly much to Link’s surprise. He took out a key from a pocket in his cloak and unlocked the cell door.

 

"Get out," he said in a dark tone. Shiro didn't need to be told twice, taking off in a dead run. Link notched another arrow just in case, watching as the man turned around to face them.

 

"Wha...?" Link looked up in shock at the dark skin red headed bearded man.

 

"Hello again, Kitten," Ganondorf said in amusement.

 

******

 

"I must say, Kitten, I'm impressed,' Ganondorf said as he removed his cloak and examined the cuts on the upper part of his arms. They were shallow and already the blood was clotting, they wouldn't even leave a scar. He mumbled a few words under his breath healing the cuts then turned back to Link who was sitting at the table in his private rooms. "You fought very well."

 

"Well he kicked your butt," Navi said from where she stood on the table, her blue light gone.

 

"He was holding back," Link said with a small yawn. He was tired after sneaking around all night, battling three of the Gerudo guards and then the final fight with Ganondorf himself. "I think he could have taken me out if he was more serious about the fight."

 

"Don't sell yourself short," Ganondorf said as he poured a glass of wine in a goblet and placed it in front of Link then poured one for himself. "I was not holding back as much as you think, I haven’t had a fun fight like that in years, not since Nabooru." There was a sad note in his voice that Link caught.

 

"What happened?" he asked. Ganon sighed as he sat down.

 

"A few days after we returned from our flight from Zelda and her forces Nabooru foolishly got it into her head to head out to the Spirit Temple alone. There was a rumor that the witches Kotake and Koume had used the temple as a base of power for years and Nabooru planned on wrecking any plans they had," Ganondorf explained. "She disappeared, and no one has seen her since. But enough about that. Tell me Kitten, why are you sneaking around my fortress?"

 

"Looking for you actually," Link said as he picked up the goblet sniffed the sweet smelling wine with curiosity. "Oh and to let those carpenter guys go."

 

"Why did you come looking for me?" Ganon asked as he sipped his wine. Link and Navi explained everything about Dark, what they knew anyway, and how they were hoping to brink Link's darker twin here to see if he was a danger or not. "I see." Ganon rubbed at his chin while Link took a sip at the wine. He started a bit at the hidden bite of the wine and wrinkled his nose, he didn't know if he liked this strange drink.

 

"You're the only one we know of that is knowledgeable in magic," Navi said. "It's not like we can go up to Zelda and ask her."

 

"True," Ganondorf said amused. "I may already have some idea what Zelda did to create the boy you dubbed 'Dark' but I would have to see him for myself to be sure. Where is he now?"

 

"We left him with Sheik in the carpenters’ tent," Link said as he sipped again at the wine.

 

"I will personally escort your friends here, you do not look like you could stay away much longer Kitten," Ganon said. "And I want to speak to this head carpenter myself."

 

"You're not going to hurt him are you?" Navi asked. "He's only trying to help."

 

"I promise no harm will come to the man," Ganondorf said. "On another matter, here." Ganon reached into a pocket and took out a piece of parchment with Greudo writing on it, handing it to Link. Link finished the wine, it had gotten better after he got use to the taste, and after placing the goblet to the side took the parchment.

 

"What is this?" The blond asked. He felt a bit light headed from combination of being tried and from his first time ever drinking alcohol.

 

"I have decided that you are now a full member of the Greudo tribe," Ganon said with a smile. "You proved yourself by being able to make your way around past my followers, they were not going easy on you I can assure you, and was able to defeat 3 of my best guards. And you were able to fight me to a standstill; you have the skills worthy to be one of us."

 

"What does all that mean?" Navi asked.

 

"Link will have full run of the fortress like any other member of our tribe," Ganondorf told her. "He will be allowed to come and go as he pleases, he will be able to use the training grounds and he will be able to enter any of our lands within the desert. Perhaps when all is said and done I will take you to see my palace deep in our lands."

 

"Wow, I can do all that now?" Link asked amazed.

 

"Yes, and I think you will need it," Ganondorf said with a nod. ”You are cleansing the temples correct? The Spirit Temple is across the haunted wasteland, the only way to enter the wasteland is through our lands. This will aid you on your quest."

 

"Ganondorf, this great," Link said with a smile as he tucked the parchment into his pouch. "This will- **yawn** ," The blonds’ jaw cracked with another yawn.

 

"I think you need a bit of sleep, Kitten," Ganondorf said in amusement. Link just nodded sleepily making Ganon chuckle in amusement. "Here, you can rest here," the red headed man offered as he guided the teen into his personal bed chamber. Sitting on the bed with another yawn, Link blinked sleepily as Ganondorf knelt and started to remove the teen's Kokiri style boots. Wanting to help, Link fumbled with the leather belt across his chest that held his sword and shield in place.

 

"Thanks," The teen said as the sword and shield fell off his back and his boots were put to the side.

 

"Sleep well, Kitten," Ganon said as he moved the Master Sword and Link's shield across the room. As soon as his head hit the pillow Link was out like a light. The teenage boy curled up in the middle of the bed with a sigh. _'Too cute,'_ Ganondorf thought with a slight smirk. He removed Link's hat putting it on the table where Navi made a sleeping nest for herself out of it, then pulled one of the silk sheets over the teen.

With a dramatic flip of his cape, Ganondorf turned and left his chambers, ordering for his horse to be prepared as he left the room.

 

*****

 

Sheik tapped his fingers nervously against his knee as he stared into the fire burning merrily in the middle of the tent. Dark mewled softly in his sleep as one of the carpenters along the edge of the tent snored loudly. Dark was sleeping next to Sheik with his head lying in the blonds’ lap. Sheik quickly reached down to sooth the black hair on the other teen's head, soothing him back into sleep.

 

He was worried, Link had been gone all night and had yet to return. Sheik could already see the sun starting to rise in the east. The four carpenters that worked for Mutoh had returned one by one from the direction of the fortress. Each man had said the same thing; Link had arrived at their cell, fought with the Gerudo guarding them then opened the door setting them free. Shiro had added that Link had fought a man at his cell door and the man was the one to set him free in the end.

 

Sheik glanced down at Dark as the pale teen mewled softly in his sleep again, nuzzling Sheik's leg. Sheik didn't know what to make of Dark, it was almost creepy to look at a boy that looked like Link in the way Dark did. So far the boy had been really sweet and child like but he was still worried. Link's almost twin was created by Zelda, who knew if he was really safe or not. Sheik would feel better once Dark was checked over by Ganondorf, or at least somebody that was knowledgeable of magic.

 

Glancing at the door of the tent, Sheik sighed and started tapping his fingers against his knee again.

 

 _'Where are you Link?'_ he thought to himself. So distracted by his thoughts he didn't hear the sound of hoofs against the stone floor of the valley or the sound of someone moving around outside of the tent.

 

"Who the hell are you?" Sheik blinked and looked up as Mutoh's voice filled the tent; he hadn't even heard the man wake up. Dark started awake at Mutoh's yell, the dark Elvin teen childishly rubbing his red eyes with the back of his hand, while Sheik twisted to look at the tent door again.

 

"Mutoh!" Sheik hissed as he hurriedly stood up. "That's Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo's. We're on _his_ lands remember?" The four other carpenters woke up and hurried to the back of the tent huddling in fear, the strange red headed man grumbling as he was nearly trampled.

 

"Peace, I'm not your enemy," Ganon said, holding up a hand. "I have come to escort you and... Dark I believe it is... to our fortress." He told Sheik as the younger male stepped up.

 

"Is... is Link alright?" Sheik asked.

 

"Yes, do not worry," Ganondorf said. "I left him sleeping safe and sound. Now... I am told you wish to rebuild the bridge." The Gerudo king turned to speak to Mutoh who stood in front of the other man with his arms crossed over his chest. "Is this... something that your queen tasked you with?"

 

"That woman is not my queen," Mutoh said, spitting on the ground in disgust. "You destroyed a perfectly built bridge, I want to have it rebuilt even better than before."

 

Ganondorf smiled in amusement, the Hylian man was not afraid to stand up to the Gerudo king and he was a bit impressed. Most Hylians were afraid of him and his people.

 

"Find, rebuild the bridge," Ganondorf said with a wave of his hand. His spies told him that Zelda's grip on Hyrule was weakening, all thanks to a certain blond. Maybe now it was time for his lands to be reconnected to the valley. "Keep your men out of my fortress and my deserts, my followers will not be so gentle next time."

 

"Don't worry, I will keep a tighter grip on those idiots," Mutoh assured him. Ganondorf nodded and turned to Sheik and Dark.

 

"Shall we then?" He said, holding open the flap of the tent.

 

*****

 

Link yawned as he sat up; rubbing at his eyes as he slowly woke up. He felt well rested after the last two days he had and he wondered where Ganondorf was and if the man had gone to get his friends.

 

"Hmmm..." Link twisted in surprised as he heard a soft sigh behind him.

 

"Sheik?" Link asked softly. "Dark?" Both of the other teens were in the large bed with him, Sheik right beside him and his dark twin on the other side of the Sheikah. Link found nothing strange about it, he had shared a bed with Sheik when they were children and didn't know it was a bit strange to do so now that they were teens.

 

"Hmm?" Sheik's red eyes fluttered open at his name being called while Dark slept on as deeply as Link did normally. "Hello Hero," the shadow elf said with a smile.

 

"When did you get here?" Link asked as he laid back down, stretched out beside his friend.

 

"I know we've been here since this morning, Ganondorf brought us here. He allowed us to sleep here after he saw how tired we both were," Sheik said with a lazy smile as he watched Link. Sunlight filtered through a sheer curtain over a window and outlined Link in its light; to Sheik it made his friend look beautiful.

 

"Oh, did Ganondorf look Dark over?" Link asked as he watched Sheik back. There was something... Link wasn't sure how to put it but the sunlight made Sheik's golden blond hair glow, making Link blush slightly as his heart fluttered with something he didn't understand.

 

"No, he said he would wait until we were all rested," Sheik said softly, reaching up to absently brush Link's strawberry blond hair out of his face, making Link look down shyly while another pretty flush crossed his face.

 

"Oh," Link said, he felt very strange when Sheik touched him too gently. He wished he knew what these strange feelings he got when he was around Sheik meant.

 

"So... Kitten?" Sheik asked teasingly though inside he felt a small stab of jealously at a certain Gerudo king. Why did the man have a pet name for his friend?

 

"Huh?" Link asked as he looked up at Sheik again. "Oh, I don't know. He called me that when I met him in Hyrule Castle Town after he saved me from the guards and I guess he still calls me that."

 

Sheik forced down the feelings of jealously, surely Ganondorf meant nothing of it that a little friendly teasing.

 

"Well I think he's right, you are a bit like a kitten," He said after a few seconds. Link gave his a confused look, tilting his head a bit. "Dark really is a lot like you, he tilts his head like that."

 

"He would; to a certain extent, he is Link," Ganondorf's voice said from the doorway. "If Zelda used the spell I think she did." Sheik flushed slightly and quickly sat up.

 

"So um... you know what Zelda did then?" Sheik quickly asked. Ganondorf chuckled softly and turned.

 

"I may, wake your friend and we'll find out once and for all," the tall red headed man said as he left.

 

****

 

Ganondorf chanted in Gerudo as he read from a scroll he held in one hand and waved his hand over Dark with the other. The pale teen squirmed as the feeling of Ganon's spell washed over him, making his skin tingle. Link and Sheik stood by the door of Ganondorf study leaning against the wall watching as Navi floated over Link's right shoulder.

 

"Ohhh," Dark gasped as his skin started to glow, holding up a hand to look.

 

"I was correct," Ganondorf said smugly as he put the scroll to the side.

 

"And just what were you correct about?" Sheik asked.

 

"Aww," Dark pouted as the glow around him faded. "But it was pretty."

 

"Zelda tried to use a doppelganger spell," Ganondorf explained. "She used part of Link to create a double, another Link."

 

"A part of me?" Link asked as he pointed to himself.

 

"Yes, such as your blood or a lock of your hair," Ganon said with a nod.

 

"You've bled enough inside both of the first two temples we cleansed, she could have gotten it there," Navi said.

 

"Aren't doppelgangers supposed to be the opposite of the person they come from?" Sheik asked. "Link is a good guy so shouldn't Dark be evil?"

 

"He is different from Link, his hair and eyes are a different shade of color," Ganondorf reasoned. "I would say he is the 'dark' to Link's 'light'. Dark doesn't equal evil. But the most likely reason, Zelda cast the spell wrong. Instead of a true doppelganger, she called a sort of duplicate spell or a mix of the two."

 

"But why would she want to cast this spell either way?" Sheik asked.

 

"I don't know, I would have cast a Shadow spell myself," Ganondorf said with a shrug. "Same effect by bringing his shadow to life to fight against him instead. But I can guess what she may have been planning."

 

"And?" Navi asked when the man paused.

 

"My spies tell me Zelda is highly controlling," Ganondorf explained. "And I don't doubt you put a bee in her bonnet by weakening her hold over Hyrule. The people are starting to notice as well, you are giving them hope."

 

"Wait, I think I see," Sheik said. "If people think Dark is Link, those hopes would be dashed."

 

"Yes," Ganon said. "But her plans went south as she used the wrong spell or cast it incorrectly. Dark is Link's twin now, a brother in a way, and is innocent." Ganondorf and the teens glanced over at Dark who was trying to use the spell on Ganondorf's scroll to make his skin glow again but couldn't get the spell to work.

 

"So why did he attack me in the temple?" Link asked. "He said that Zelda said some words and he couldn’t remember anything."

 

"She cast a mind control spell on him, the magic from the spell is lingering on him," Ganon said.

 

"Is that safe?" Sheik asked.

 

"Yes, she would have to be here in front of him to recast the spell," Ganondorf assured him.

 

"So what do we do with him?" Navi asked. "We can't take him with us. But we also can't let Zelda get to him again."

 

"I would be happy to allow him to stay here," Ganondorf offered. "Zelda isn't about to invade here any time soon and my girls are all warriors."

 

"Are you sure?" Link asked.

 

"Don't worry, it will be fine Kitten," Ganondorf said as he patted Link on the shoulder.

*****

 

Inside Zelda's castle a scream of rage filled the halls as the dark queen discovered that her servant was no longer under her control.

 

*****

 

Author note: This will be the last chapter for a bit, I'm going on a short hiatus but don't worry it won't be as long as the years old writer's block I had. I am going back over the previous chapters of this and my other stories to give them a tune up. As soon as I'm done, I'll be back to writing.

 

(1) This is the Lake Side doctor's name from the manga.

 

(2) Watch the ending credits, during the party at Lon Lon Ranch, Mutoh has eight carpenters with him so he has more than four employees.

 

(3) It's the way Ganondorf used his swords in Wind Waker.

 

(4) A ghutra is the cloth thing Arabs were on their head according to the website I found on Arabic clothing.

 

Edit 8-3-14: very little had to be fixed here, just a couple of words that was used incorrectly.


	15. Chapter 15

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

Author note: Special thanks to my new beta Leopardfire97 for going over this for me.

 

Chapter 15

 

Link and Sheik spent the rest of the day at the fortress of the Gerudo, making sure Dark was settled in. The first thing Ganondorf did was order new clothing for the dark haired Elven boy; the boy’s black tunic was just asking for a heat stroke as hot as the desert got during the day.

Dark was none too happy to learn that Link planned on leaving soon, clinging to his ‘brother’ with a pout.

“Dark, it’ll be ok,” Link said with a sigh. “I’ve got to do this.”

“But…but what if that scary lady hurts you?” Dark said, hugging Link’s arm closer. “What if she makes you do something you don’t want to do?” Link did not bother telling Dark—he was starting to wonder if they should choose an actual name for the teen instead of just calling him ‘Dark’—that Zelda had already tricked him and Navi once already when Link went against his gut-feelings about Zelda and had gathered the other two Spiritual Stones at her request seven years ago.

“Child, Link will be fine,” Ganon said with amusement. Dark just pouted again, pressing his cheek against Link’s shoulder. Link gave Ganondorf and Sheik a helpless look; he had no idea what to make of Dark’s reaction. Link had no brothers or sisters, at least none that he knew of, since the Deku Sprout had only told him of his mother, not his father, therefore he had no idea if the man was alive or dead, not that Link really stopped to think about it, and had never had anyone be so clingy to him before. It did remind him of Fado, the blond girl Kokiri not his friend the male Fado, as she had a habit of hanging of her brother Mido quite often. (1)

“You’re his family now, Link,” Sheik said softly to his friend. “And he’s yours. He’s afraid of you going away for good. Kain was clingy like this when we were children and had to leave Kakariko Village.”

Link though he understood at least somewhat, Dark was scared that Link could be killed and he would never see the blond again. Link offered to tell Dark a few stories of his time in the Forest and Fire temples, to put his dark twin’s mind at rest that Link would be fine. This was the first time Sheik fully heard of Link’s adventures and he thought his heart would stop a few times as he heard some of the dangerous situations he friend got into. At the same time he admired the strength the hero had to get through his trails so far.

Ganondorf also listened with interest, the first time he had heard any of this himself. When Link mentioned that inside the Water Temple his Hookshot had trouble reaching some of the targets inside the temple, Ganondorf plotted ways he could help his kitten out.

 

*******

 

Later that evening, Link and Navi prepared to return to the Water Temple. Dark was distracted by some of the younger Gerudo girls as he drew him away to get changed into the light clothing made for him. Link thought this would be a perfect time to leave so the darker Hylian wouldn’t start clinging to him again.

“Link,” Ganon called before the blond could start to play the warp song that would carry him and his fairy partner back to Lake Hylia. Link blinked and lowered the Ocarina of Time, looking up at the much larger male.

“Yes?” Link asked.

“I think you will find this useful Kitten,” Ganondorf said with a slight smirk as he handed over an object to Link. Link blinked again and looked at the device in his hands. It looked like a Hookshot, but it seemed to be bigger than the one he received from the ghost of Dampé.

“Another Hookshot?” He asked, looking up at the giant of a man.

“Technically, it is called the Longshot,” Ganon explained. “It is a modified Hookshot with a much longer chain and a more powerful spring inside. This little device should allow you to reach the places you couldn’t before.”

“Where in the name of Nayru did you get something like that?” Navi asked.

“It is a left over relic of our past as thieves,” Ganondorf said with a shrug of his shoulders. “It was a useful item to sneak into high, hard to reach windows. I think it should be more use to you now than it is for my tribe.”

“Thank you,” Link said with a sunny smile. Ganon’s lips quirked into a smile and he nodded.

“Just continue to be careful Kitten, I hate to have to break the news to break the news to your puppy that you are hurt,” Ganon said with a laugh as he turned and walked again back into the fortress.

“Din,” Navi muttered with a shake of her head. “Kitten, Puppy… what is with him and giving you two those ridiculous nicknames?”

“It’s better than being called ‘Mr. No Fairy’ or ‘Fairy Boy’,” Link said, nicknames he had gotten from Mido and Malon in his youth. “I don’t mind it and Dark doesn’t seem to either.” He wasn’t sure just how he was a ‘kitten’ but he could see how Dark was a ‘puppy’ as his dark twin was sometimes downright hyper in his childlike actions. Navi just sighed and let the subject drop as Link played the Serenade of Water, whisking them both away back to their task.

 

*******

 

Link reappeared in the room where he had fought with Dark in a flash of green and the sound of the rushing wind. He looked around **cautiously, the last time he had been in this room it had been covered in an illusion that made it appear as a misty, watery landscape with only a lone dead tree to see designed to draw him into a false sense of safety, but the room appeared as it did after he had broken the spell over Dark. The only thing he did see was the dark copy of the Master Sword that Dark had used.**

**“Don’t touch it,” Navi said as they drew closer to the item. “It’s muted but I can feel the evil in that blade.”**

**“Zelda must have made it,” Link reasoned. “Do we just leave it here?”**

**“I don’t see what else we can do with it,” Navi admitted. “We don’t have the means to safely carry it and we shouldn’t return it to Dark anyway, it could reactivate Zelda’s spell over him.”**

**Link hesitated for a moment, he wasn’t sure about leaving such an evil dark object in the temple like this when they were trying to clean it out, then turned to head toward the door on the other side of the room that he had yet to enter. As the Hylian hero and his fairy left the room the dark sword seemed to glow with a dark light then disappeared all together, a cackle filling the still air.**

*************

 

The next room was small and offered no way out, at least none Link could see, until he found a blue stone block that could be moved by playing the Song of Time. Under the room Link fell into a long cavern that had a rushing river flowing through it.

“This must have been here before the temple was built,” Navi yelled over the sound of the water. “The cave walls are natural.”

“What are those?” Link asked point to a swirling vortex in the river.

“A whirlpool vortex,” Navi informed him. “We’ll need to be careful, we don’t want to get pulled down into one of those, who knows where it leads or even if there’ll be a way out of it.”

“I’ll be careful then,” Link promised then jumped into the water. Link carefully made his way down the river-like room, finding the water came just above his head when he was weighed down by the iron boots. The vortexes scattered along the path had a strong pull and Link had to quickly run or even swim away to keep from being sucked in. By the time he made it to the other end of the room, Link was panting as he sat on the edge of a small platform. To his left was a gate with a small chest behind it and across from him was one of those strange eye targets that he often found in the temples. Water dripped from his hair and down his nose to fall off the tip.

“Don’t stop now, I can see a tunnel on the other side of the gate,” Navi said as she peered through the gate.

“Navi, I don’t see you having to run and swim for your life to keep from being pulled Nayru knows where by one of those whirlpool things,” Link said as he leaned his head back against the cave wall behind him. “All you do is fly above the water so let me rest for a few minutes.”

Navi sighed and rolled her eyes, not that Link could see her do this. “Fine, fine,” she said. Link huffed softly; he knew Navi wanted to get this temple done and the Water Sage awakened but Link would be no good to fight if he was too tired to do so. All the fairies he ever met seemed to be filled with endless energy and Link wondered if they ever got tired in the same way a normal mortal like himself did.

Sometime later Link finally roused himself and used his bow and arrows to trigger the eye target and jump across to reach the tunnel with the chest before the gate snapped closed again. After Link grabbed the key inside the chest he wondered down the tunnel and found himself looking down into a room he had been in before, a square room with a pool in the middle that circled around with a very strong current that had battered him into the walls a few times.

_‘At least I know where I am in the temple,’_ Link thought with a sigh as he jumped down into the water.

 

******

 

Link found himself having to backtrack through the temple, which he found a bit annoying, to get back to the Triforce emblems that controlled the water level in the temple. He did find the Longshot that Ganondorf had given him to be very useful, finally able to reach places he hadn’t before. At one point the teen got so turned around he finally had to sit and take out the map of the temple he found at some point earlier to figure out where he _hadn’t_ been yet, marking out rooms that he had been. He still hadn’t found the key that matched the large door at the topmost level of the temple.

“There,” he said pointing at a tunnel on the map that was on the bottom level, “I remember going in there but couldn’t get past the spikes and the Hookshot was too short to get me across.”

“Well you’ll be able to get across now,” Navi said. Link nodded and folded up the map, tucking it into magic pouch on his hip, marveling once again at the item like he had so many times before. Even though he was soaking wet, everything inside the pouch was bone dry. Link dove into the water and let the iron boots drag him down to the bottom; he had gotten use to the feeling of being underwater and still being able to breathe by now. He quickly found the tunnel and used the Longshot to get over to the spikes once on the other side. Both in the next room and the room after that he found Tektites, causing Link to scowl when he saw them. He hated Tektites; they were annoying and had jumped him several times when on the trail up Death Mountain as well as here in the Water temple. He had to learn to recognize their tell-tale scratching noise that they made when they moved to avoid being pounced on. Red or Blue, both types bugged him.

The blond hero quickly worked his way through the rooms, avoiding large rolling boulders, blue eyes widening at he watched one of those whirlpool vortexes suck the boulder down, and the aforementioned Tektites. The rooms and tunnels seemed to circle around themselves as he soon found himself in the same place that the boulders had been falling from. He quickly dashed and jumped into a pool of water under the waterfall once one of the boulders had rolled past then swam to the other side.

In a room at the end of the short passageway Link finally found the key he had been searching for.

“Wow…” Link whispered softly. In the middle of the room stood a podium decorated with gold and blue stones, remind Link of the Spiritual Stone of Water. Hanging right above the podium was a large globe of water and inside was a large key with a water drop on one end, matching the lock on the door Link first saw when he first entered the Water Temple. (2)

Etched in the middle of the water drop was the symbol of the Water Sage. Link reached toward the globe to take the key out.

“Careful!” Navi warned, Link snatching his hand back at the sound. “It might be booby trapped.”

“Well, how am I supposed to get the key out?” Link said.

“Hmmm….” Navi circled around the globe, feeling out with her fairy magic to see if she could detect any dark magic that would be harmful to her charge. She didn’t but that didn’t mean the water globe or the podium wasn’t booby trapped. “Oh, I know! You still have those Deku Sticks from when you were a child?”

“Yeah, why?” Link asked.

“Use one of those to just knock the key out of the water,” Navi said. Link reached into his pouch and took out one of the long sticks he collected as a child. It looked and felt so much small now in his adult sized hands but it was still long enough to reach into the water globe and knock the key out of the other side without Link touching the water. As soon as the key broke through the surface, the magic holding the water together in the globe shape broke apart and spilled onto the floor. Link smiled happily and picked the key up.

“Let’s go,” Navi said. “We have a sage to awaken.”

 

********

 

Link carefully edged his way into the next room after he unlocked the door, not knowing what to expect or what was waiting for him.

The room was fairly large, the floor covered with water that reached up to his mid-shins and Link nervously eyed the wall of spikes all along the walls, with very few spaces spike-free.

“Link!” Navi said as she bounced in the air in alarm. “It’s Princess Ruto!” Link looked up at the ceiling where in the middle of the room Ruto floated in a dark purple crystal. The Zora princess banged her fist against the side of her prison as she yelled,

“Link! Look out! That’s not normal water!” (3)

The warning came too late as something grabbed Link by the leg and hoisted him up into the air. Link yelled and looked down, or up seeing as how he was upside down currently, to see what had him. It looked like a tentacle made of water that had rose up out of the water he had been standing in. He yelled again as the water-tentacle violently flicked him to one side, throwing him into the wall.

Link groaned as he slid down the wall, landing between two rows of spikes luckily.

“Ow,” Link said as he reached up to rub the back of his head, knock the blue stocking cap off of his head.

“Link! Get up!” Navi said as she flew over to him. Link groaned softly but quickly climbed back to his feet while drawing his sword and shield.

Link watched the water warily for another attack from the water tentacle.

“Behind you!” Navi warned. Link spun his blade cutting through a forming tentacle which burst like a bubble.

“HEEHEEHEE!” A high pitched laugh filled the air and several feet from Link the strange water started to build up, making a new form. Link gasped and took a small step back as the water became a humanoid shaped like a woman with a strange pulsing orb in the middle of its ‘forehead’. A swirl of black light surrounded one of the water creature’s hands, forming into the black Master Sword like blade that Link and Navi had left in the room where Dark had been. As the water woman raised the sword above her head, the blade pulsed with black light, reshaping to become larger and longer with a wicked curved blade.

Link barely had time to swear to the Goddess as the water warrior moved to attack. Link blocked the sword just in time with his shield then counterattacked with a swipe of his own. He quickly discovered that his blade only went through the watery limbs without really hurting the creature; the limb would just reform as quickly as he sliced it. He also had to dodge and cut through any water tentacles that came his way, warned by both Navi and Ruto when it formed.

Link grunted as he used the Master Sword to block a vicious strike from the creature, his boots sliding in the water and almost sending him flying as he slipped. He locked blades with the creature, both trying to knock the other’s sword from their hands. He could feel one of the water tentacles starting to wrap around his ankle just as Navi shouted out a warning, twisting to the side to get out of the tentacle’s hold. The creature stumbled forward as she was no longer pressing the dark blade against Link’s sword, the blond teen using the break in the attack to slide the hand holding the blade off. The blade fell into the water with a splash while the water woman turned to face Link, her sword hand already reforming.

“Link, that sword needs to be destroyed!” Navi called as she flew into the face of the water warrior to distract her. Link glanced at the blade, not sure at first how to destroy the dark sword the glanced at the Master Sword. He gasped softly; the Master Sword was glowing softly with an inner light as he neared the dark sword, reacting to the evil in the blade. Thinking quickly, Link decided to try a move that he had seen some of the Sheikah warriors back in their village use. Taking the Master Sword in both hands, Link leapt into the air with a yell. The Master Sword was pointed downward as he landed on top of the dark blade. The light in the Master Sword gleamed brightly as it pierced the dark blade, destroying the evil dark magic within it. The dark blade shattered under the attack, then disappeared for good. (5)

“No!” The water warrior yelled as she felt the blade’s destruction. Navi dove under a swing that the creature took at her and quickly flew back to Link’s side.

“Good job! Link, that orb in her head, that’s where her powers are coming from,” Navi told Link, having been close enough to feel the creature’s magic. The water warrior screamed in rage, gathering the strange water around her to form several water tentacles to attack Link with. Reminded of the black core of the Flare Dancers back in the Fire Temple, Link quickly took out the Long Shot and aimed it at the core in the water creature. The end of the Long Shot flew through the air and sunk deeply into the orb, dragging it out of the body constructed of water. As the orb left, the water body and the tentacles fell to the floor with a splash.

Link charged magic into his sword as the Great Fairy of Power taught him 7 years ago and spun in a circle, the Master Sword almost singing as it flew through the air. The magical blade struck the orb just right, knocking it off of the tip of the Long Shot and flew through the air to land on the tip of one of the spikes along the edge of the room. He quickly followed up with a second attack, pushing the orb down onto the spike further until the deadly point pierced the middle of the orb. There was a hit pitch sound that filled the room as the orb convulsed then exploded, Link using his shield to protect himself from the blast. In the middle of the room, the crystal holding Princess Ruto shattered. She hung in the air for a moment, her violet lighting up as she was filled with the knowledge of who she was then disappeared in a flash of blue light.

In the space where Ruto had been a prisoner, a vortex of water rose up to the ceiling. Slowly the odd water that had filled the room drained away, disappearing to someplace else until the last drop reached the ceiling. The drop clung to the roof for a second or two then dropped to the floor with a splash. A circle of light appeared in the spot and Link breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank Nayru,” Navi said with a sigh of her own. “The lake and the Zora are saved now. Come; let’s go to the Chamber of Sages.” Link nodded, sheathing the Master Sword and stepping into the light.

 

**********

 

Link and Navi reappeared in the Chamber of Sages, facing the platform that contained the symbol of the Water Sage. It glowed for a moment then Ruto rose from the light facing him.

“Link,” She said with a smile. “I would have expected no less from the man I chose to be in husband.” Link fought to keep the grimace off his face when Ruto called him her husband. It wasn’t that he disliked the Zora Princess but he didn’t want to marry her. “Zora’s Domain and its people will eventually return to their original state. As a reward, I grant my eternal love to you.” Link took a step back in shock then shook his head.

“Ruto, look I don’t thi-“ Link started to say as Ruto laughed softly.

“Well, that’s what I wanted to say,” She said with amusement in her voice. “But I don’t think I can offer that now. I have to guard the Water Temple as the Sage of Water. It was a silly little offer from a silly little fish girl a long time ago. And you… well, your heart already belongs to someone else.”

Link frowned slightly, he wasn’t completely sure what she meant by that.

“What are you-“ he started to say then became quite as Ruto held up a hand to stop him.

“You can’t hide anything from me!” She said with a shake of her head. “Maybe you don’t quite know it yet, but I think you will see.” Link nodded slowly in agreement. Ruto looked satisfied with his agreement then said, “I can tell nothing well stop you in your quest for justice and peace. You must take this medallion; take it respectfully!” She held out her hand, a dark blue medallion appearing over the palm just like the ones Saria and Darunia had given him. Link took the medallion from the Zora and slipped into his pouch with the others.

The space under Link’s feet lit up and he was once again encased in a crystal that would take him out of the Chamber. As he left, he heard Ruto’s voice once again.

“If you see Sheik, please give him my thanks, Ok?” Ruto watched as Link and Navi disappeared. She sighed as she continued to watch the spot where Link had been.

“Princess,” Mako’s voice said from behind her. Ruto turned to her fellow Zora, she was only a little surprised to see him there.

“Mako… so this is where you’ve been the last seven years,” She said. Mako came closer to the younger Zora then knelt on the floor, one of his hands pressed over his chest briefly then stood up again.

“When the boy drew the blade, I was awoken as the Sage of Earth and came here to perform my duty,” He said. “Much like you will now.”

“Yes,” Ruto agreed with a sigh.

“Princess… it wasn’t a silly promise you made was it?” Mako asked. “You had every intention of making the Hero your Royal Consort.”

“Not for the reasons you think, I was charmed like any princess would be when a dashing hero comes to save her,” Ruto admitted. “But I mostly knew it would make Father angry that I intended to marry a human instead of a Zora.”

“His majesty is wrapped around your little fin,” Mako remarked. “I don’t think he would have been as angry as you think.”

“Maybe not,” Ruto agreed. “But I saw the look on Link’s face when I brought the subject of marriage up; he didn’t want to marry me and what I told him was true, someone else has his heart. I don’t quite sure who, but someone does.”

“You’ll find your prince charming one day,” Mako said.

“Perhaps,” Ruto said then shook herself. “Away with you, you have your scared duty to perform and I have mine. It’s time to bring down that tyrant Zelda and return peace to our waters.”

“As your wish,” Mako bowed to his princess then disappeared in a flash of light blue light. Ruto humphed, then giggled slightly before flashing away in a rush of dark blue light to her own temple.

 

********

 

Meanwhile, outside of the Water Temple, Sheik jumped down from the dead tree that stood on top of the hill where the Water Temple was located. The constant rain that had plagued the area had stopped a few minutes before hand and the sky became clear as the storm clouds rolled away. Sheik held his breath, waiting for the final sign that Link had awakened the sage. A pulse of power ran under his feet then spread out across the lake bed in a rush of blue light. Sheik looked over at the water fall, whatever magic that had been holding back the water fell and already the water was rushing into the dry lake bed, filling it once again with pure, clean water.

“As the water rises, the evil is vanishing from the lake,” Sheik said with a grin. The water was rising fast, faster than Sheik would have through it would have considering how large Lake Hylia was. It was as if all the missing water was trying to come back at once. “Link you did it!”

“Sheik!” Link called as soon as he saw his friend as his feet touched the ground. Sheik turned to face the other teen, his eyes smiling as Link ran up to him. “Ruto, she-“

“Did Ruto want to take me?” Sheik guessed.

“Hmm,” Link smiled as he nodded his head.

“I see. We have to return peace to Hyrule for her sake, too, don’t we?” Sheik said then turned toward the water. To the east, the sun had started to raise, its warm light touching the area for the first time in years. “Look at it, Link. Together, you and Princess Ruto destroyed the evil monster.”

“Ruto didn’t do much,” Navi muttered softly next to Link’s ear.

“Hush,” Link said just as softly.

“Once again, the lake is filled with pure water. All is as it was here,” Sheik continued. Link stepped forward to stand by Sheik’s side, looking over the lake that was now filled with water again. It was beautiful, reminding Link of his first glance at the lake as a child. Sheik watched Link in turn as the sunlight sparkled off the calm waters, the reflection of the light dancing over Link’s form. It made Link look so handsome to Sheik. The serene scene struck Sheik, reminding him of what he and Link were doing and what he felt for the other boy.

_Sheik!_ Sheik jerked in surprise as his mother’s telepathic voice filled his mind.

_Mother? What’s wrong?_ Sheik thought back.

_Kakariko Village is under attack!_ Impa told him. _Hurry!_

Link turned as Sheik gasped and stepped away.

“Sheik?” Link asked as he turned toward his friend.

“Kakariko Village,” was all Sheik said as he teleported away.

“Wait!” Link called too late. “What do you think that was about?”

“I don’t know, but we should get going,” Navi said. “Whatever it is, it’s something important.” Link nodded, starting to turn to leave but a glint of light caught his attention. There was a plaque sitting on the ground near the tree. Link walked over and knelt down next to the plaque to read it. “What’s that?”

“Don’t know, it says to shoot an arrow toward the rising sun,” Link said. He stood and took out the Fairy Bow out of his magic pouch then took out an arrow from a quiver on his back. He aimed at the sun and let the arrow fly. There was a red flash of light, causing Link to raise his hand to block the light.

“Link, look!” Navi said. “There, on that island over there!” Link lowered his hand and looked; there on an island between two small pillars hung his arrow with the tip surrounded by ball of fire. Link dove into the water and swam over to the island, pulling himself out of the cool waters to get a closer look. “It’s a spell…” Navi said as she hovered over the arrow.

“A spell,” Link repeated. Curious he reached over and wrapped his hand around the shaft of the arrow. The arrow disappeared with flash of red light, the light sinking into Link’s skin. Link’s eyes lit up as he stood, looking at his hand. “Hey, I know how to make my arrows into fire arrows now.”

“That could be useful,” Navi agreed. “Come on, let’s get to Kakariko Village.”

 

**********

 

Sheik appeared in the middle of Kakariko Village, gasping in shock. Several of the buildings in the village were either on fire or were incased in ice. High above the village Sheik could see the sorceress Koume hurling a fireball at the bazaar. Sheik cursed under his breath and teleported to a nearby roof top. As soon as he reappeared, Sheik tossed several of his sharp throwing needles at Koume.

“Heeheehee!” The witch crackled as she barrel-rolled in midair and dove down to dodge the attack. “Look what we have here, one of the traitorous Sheikah.”

“I am not a traitor,” Sheik said as he readied another handful of needles. “My loyalty is to the Royal House of Hyrule. Zelda is the one who is a traitor.”

“Watch how you speak about your queen, boy,” Koume said in amusement as she held up her hand, another ball of fire forming above her palm. “Ho!” She tossed it at Sheik who leapt out of the way, tucking himself into a roll as he hit the ground below.

“Zelda is no queen of mine,” Sheik said as he jumped to his feet.

“Ah yes, you Sheikah dogs always follow the blood-line of your beloved goddess,” Koume said with a snort. “Hurry up, Kotake!”

Sheik cursed and looked around as he realized that he hadn’t seen the ice wielding sorceress anywhere. He looked around, keeping half an eye on Koume, trying to find Kotake.

“HEEHEEHEE!” An echoed laugh rang over the village from the direction of the well. Sheik’s ruby eyes widened in horror as he stared at the old dry well.

“No, what have you done?!” He yelled as Kotake came flying out of the well with a cackle.

“It’s done,” Kotake said as she hovered next to her sister. “Shall we get rid of the Goddess’s dog?”

“No, it will take care of the boy for us,” Koume said. Both witches cackled in laughter again as they spun in the air, disappearing in a flash of fire and ice. Sheik slowly approached the well, watching it with dread.

 

*********

 

As Link and Navi approached the village, Link could see smoke filling the air above it.

“There must be a fire!” Navi said as Link quickly dismounted Epona and ran up the stairs to Kakariko Village. Link stopped at the village entrance, looking around in horror. The buildings all around him were on fire, many of the people who lived there trying to put the flames out with buckets of water. Link looked around again, searching for Sheik. He spotted the other blond standing in front of the well outside of the windmill.

“Sheik!” Link called as he ran toward his friend. Sheik turned his head, holding up a hand to stop his friend.

“Get back, Link!” He warned too late. Something that neither Link nor Navi couldn’t see but could sense burst out of the well and grabbed Sheik. The Sheikah teen yelled as he was tossed back and forth, trying to break free of the thing that held him. Whatever it was, it tossed Sheik like a rag doll across the ground. “UHH!” Sheik grunted, gasping in pain as the air was knocked out of him. Link ran over to Sheik’s side, kneeling down beside his friend. Link was sick with worry after seeing Sheik attack and hurt, touching Sheik’s arm.

“Sheik?” Link asked softly.

“Li-nk,” Sheik croaked and coughed.

“Link, I think it’s headed our way again!” Navi warned. Link leapt up, drawing the Master Sword and his shield, looking around for the enemy. Sheik reached for Link, trying to stop him, but was too late as the shadow creature attacked.

“AAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

 

********

 

Link groaned as he came to, looking up into the cloudy sky. His whole body hurt from being tossed around by a creature he couldn’t see. His head was pillowed on something semi-soft and something stroked the side of his face gently.

“Looks like you’re coming around,” Sheik’s relieved voice said above him. Link opened his eyes, looking up into Sheik’s.

“Are you ok?” He asked the other teen as he sat up, realizing the thing he had been laying on was Sheik’s lap. Sheik gave a small cry and flung his arms around Link, so relieved that Link was ok. Link wrapped his arms around Sheik in return; he had been frightened by the way his friend had been attacked, lying on the ground barely moving.

“Link, a terrible thing has happened,” Sheik said, holding Link tighter. Above them the rain started to fall, both of them could hear the fires hissing as the rain started to put them out. “The evil shadow demon has been released.”

“Is that what attacked us?” Link said as he let Sheik go when the other teen started to pull back.

“Yes, Mother sealed the demon in the bottom of the well years ago, long before I was born. But that witch Kotake, I don’t know if she broke the seal or helped the demon inside, but now it’s escaped into the world. I believe Mother has gone into the Shadow Temple beneath the graveyard here in the village in an attempt to seal it again but she will be in danger without any help!”

“Why would Impa go to the Shadow Temple?” Navi asked as Link stood up then helped Sheik off the ground. Sheik put most of his weight on one leg as the other was still sore.

“My family has always been the Sage of Shadows,” Sheik explained. “Unlike the other races, we’ve never forgotten. Mother is already awakened as the Shadow Sage and if something happens to her…. I will be the next Sage. Link, help mother defeat the demon.”

“I will,” Link promised.

“I’m going with you into the temple,” Sheik declared.

“No! You said you couldn’t go into the temples with Link,” Navi said.

“This is my mother!” Sheik cried. Link quickly grabbed Sheik into a hug again, Sheik resting his forehead against the other’s shoulder. “Link, our temple isn’t like the others. We call it the ‘House of the Dead’ for a reason. We used it against anyone who attacked this land during the wars; my people don’t have a pretty history. The temple is filled with illusions, with things you can’t see with the naked eye.”

“Sheik, I promise to find Impa and help her with the shadow demon,” Link said. “You’re hurt, badly I might add. I can see the way you’re trying not to put any pressure on your leg, I think you should go see your village’s healer.” Sheik sighed softly, he ached all over but he wanted to help Link and his mother. In the end though, he nodded and straightened back up, pulling himself from Link’s warm arms.

“The only thing I can do for you then is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple,” Sheik said as he removed the Goddess Harp. “This is a melody that will draw you into infinite darkness that absorbs even time. Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow…”

Sheik carefully plucked the tune to the Shadow Temple, the few notes already haunting in sound. Link repeated the notes the played a short duet with Sheik as the magic of the song filled him. Link shivered, the song was dark and filled his with a haunted, lonely feeling as if he was mourning for something or someone.

“Sheik… how do I get past the illusions you talked about?” Link asked as they each put their instruments away. Sheik frowned, happing his fingers again his leg.

“I wonder….” Sheik turned his gaze toward the well, ruby eyes lighting up as an idea came to him. “That’s it!” The blond grabbed Link suddenly then grabbed Navi, the fairy squawking as Sheik shoved her between their bodies, then teleported them away from the village.

 

*********

 

Link stumbled as they reappeared, looking around in surprise.

“The Temple of Time?” Link asked, they were in the chamber where the Master Sword has rested, where he had first seen Sheik again after his seven year sleep.

“Yes,” Sheik said as he walked up the dais where the Pedestal of Time rested. “You asked me how to get past the illusions in the temple. A long time ago, a Sheikah man that once lived in the village experimented and created two items. One was called the Mask of Truth, a mask that allows a person to read a person or animal’s thoughts. It also allows our people to speak to the Gossip Stones scattered throughout the land. But he also made one other item, the Lens of Truth.” (4)

“Lens of Truth?” Link repeated as he followed Sheik.

“Yes, it allows you to see the truth of an illusion and allows you to see anything invisible, like a certain demon,” Sheik said. “But the lens was deemed too powerful to use unlike the mask and it was sealed away in a chamber that had been created under the man’s house. A house that used to stand where the well is now.”

“Why are we here then?” Navi asked. “We should be in the well getting that Lens of Truth.”

“The chambers were sealed away after the man died, only a small opening still exist, only a child could go through it,” Sheik explained.

“So teleport us there,” Navi said.

“I told you before bug, I cannot teleport anywhere I haven’t been before and I have never been in the bottom of the well,” Sheik told the fairy.

“Sheik, how do you know about all this,” Link asked.

“The story is a common one in the village through no one was ever sure if it was true,” Sheik said. “But the man was my great-grandfather; the story has been passed down as fact within my family.”

“Ok, so why are we here at the temple? How do I get the Lens of Truth if I’m too large to enter the bottom of the well?” Link asked as he scratched the side of his head.

“You have traveled over mountains and under water, now you must travel through time,” Sheik said as he waved his head at the Pedestal of Time. “Return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time and your spirit will be transported seven years in time to your younger body.”

“And I’ll be able to enter the well!” Link said. Sheik nodded then took out his harp again.

“You may need to return here quickly, I will teach you the song that returns you to the Temple of Light – the Prelude of Light.” Sheik plucked the notes for the new song with Link skillfully repeated, playing yet another duet with his friend as the magic filled him. This time Link found himself filled with the feeling of a warm, welcoming light that chased away the lingering feelings of sadness from before.

“I will return to Kakariko Village and take care of it,” Sheik said as he tucked the harp away. “Then I will return to the Sheikah village to see the healer. I’m counting on you, Link!” Sheik used a Deku nut to teleport away, disappearing in a large flash of light.

Link watched the space where Sheik had been for a moment then drew the Master Sword, stepping up to the pedestal.

“HAA!” He thrust the sword downward and felt himself being swept away in a rush of blue light.

 

*********

 

When Link could see again, he found himself eye level with the hilt of the Master Sword.

“Link, Sheik was right!” Navi exclaimed as she looked at her partner. “You’re a child again!”

“That’s why I feel so much weaker,” Link said to himself as he checked himself over. It was… odd… being back in his original age. He had gotten use to being an adult, to being taller and stronger. He checked inside his pouch, only half surprised to see the Fairy Bow, Megaton’s Hammer and Longshot within. He was too small to properly use to the bow now and there was no way he could ever lift the Goron made hammer at this size when he could barely lift it as an adult. He also saw something else in his pouch that gave him pause, sitting next to each other in the magic pouch were the Ocarina of Time and the Fairy Ocarina given to him by Saria. He felt a pang of loss when he saw it; Saria’s awakening as a Sage had hurt him more than the others as she had been his best friend his entire life. In a way, she was both like his big sister and his mother as she helped raised him.

But Link suddenly realized, he was seven years in the past. Zelda hadn’t started her takeover of Hyrule just yet and Saria wasn’t a sage now.

“We’re going to the forest,” Link said as he took out his blue ocarina.

“What?!” Navi yelled. “Link, we’ve got to go into the well and get the Lens of Truth. We don’t have time for anything else.”

“Navi… I don’t know how I know but I think when we go back to the future it will be the same time that we left, or close to it,” Link said. “I don’t think a few hours more in the past will hurt anything.” Navi sighed, she didn’t know why she tried to be the voice of reason here, Link would do whatever he wanted and there was nothing she could do to stop him. Then again, she wasn’t a very good voice of reason seeing as how she nearly got Link raped during the first attempt of sneaking into Hyrule Castle, then blindly trusting Zelda until her eyes were open to the truth.

“Alright, fine,” Navi said with a sigh as she floated over to sit on Link’s shoulder. Link just smiled and used the Ocarina of Time to play the Minuet of Forest, sweeping the Hylian and Fairy away in a rush of green to the Lost Woods.

 

******

 

In the Scared Meadow outside of the Forest Temple, Saria happily sat on her favorite stump playing her song to several little animals that had come to hear her play. A flash of green light startled Saria as she stopped her playing to hold up a hand to shield her eyes while the animals scattered, running back into the woods.

“What in the name of Farore was that!?” Saria’s fairy partner Dits exclaimed. Saria lowered her hand then gave a gasp of surprise.

“Link! You were the one you did that?” She asked as she slid off her stump to meet her friend. Link didn’t say anything as he stepped up, a sad lost look in his blue eyes. “Link? Are you alright?”

Saria squeaked as Link suddenly hugged her, his face buried against the side of her neck. Saria blinked forest green eyes which soften as she reached up to stroke Link’s hair. Whatever it was, Link needed to get it out of his system and Saria was happy to comfort her young friend. She cooed softly in his ear, humming a soft lullaby she use to sing to him when he was just a babe.

They stood like that for a while and when Link finally pulled away, he refused to tell Saria the reasons behind his actions. He couldn’t tell her that in the next seven years, their beloved forest would be overrun by monsters that would drive even the poor, kind Kikwis from their own home in the forest to seek shelter with the Kokiri. That in seven years Saria would be awakened as the Sage of the Forest, swept away into the Sacred Realm.

He did tell her a little more of his adventures, heavily edited so she wouldn’t know about the future. Saria could tell he was leaving something out but didn’t pressure him. No she just enjoyed the tales he could give her from outside of their forest until it was time for Link to leave once again, this time is a swirl of purple light as he played the Nocturne of Shadow.

 

******

 

As Link and Navi reappeared, Link found himself standing on a small cliff overlooking the graveyard. Behind him stood a tunnel that when he peered into it, he could make out a small cavern with a dais surrounded by unlit torches. There was nothing he could do about the Shadow Temple for now, turning away from the tunnel and back toward the graveyard.

“Let’s go see about the well then,” Link said as he climbed up a small fence on the edge of the cliff, dropping down to the ground below next to the grave where he had learned the Sun Song. It was raining again, like it always seemed to rain in the graveyard, and it was very late in the evening. As Link headed for the entrance of the graveyard, Link stopped as he saw a hunched figure walking around. It was Dampé, alive again as he tended to the graves. The last and only time Link had seen the grave keeper, the man had been a ghost.

“Come on,” Navi said, nudging him in the head. Link shook his head then ran past Dampé who yelled at him not to run around the graves. In Kakariko Village everything was quiet as Link walked through the little village. Once again it was strange to see the houses still being built instead of finished. And it felt empty as well, all the Sheikah who had live there had already left the village to the remaining hidden ones throughout Hyrule. And the people from Hyrule Castle Town had yet to flee as Zelda hadn’t started her attack on the beautiful city just yet.

Link quickly ran over to the well and frowned as he peered over the side.

“It’s filled with water,” he said. “I can’t wear my Zora Tunic, I’m too small and it’ll fall off like this.”

“I could have sworn this well was dry in the future,” Navi said with her own frown.

“So how did it become dry then?” Link asked in confusion. Something was niggling at his memory but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

“Excuse me,” a tiny voice said from Link’s elbow. Link looked down and nearly cried, it was a tiny Town Minish wearing a little blue robe and red hat. Link hadn’t been able to see the Minish once he turned into an adult as only children, animals and the Kokiri could see or hear them. “Are you looking to drain the well?”

“Yes, there’s something in the bottom we need to get really badly,” Link said with a quick nod.

“Well I don’t know if this will help but the water is drawn up by the windmill,” the Minish told them, pointing at the tall windmill behind the well. Link looked up at it, his memory niggling again then gasping as he remembered.

_"A punk kid with an ocarina came in one day and played a song that started to make it rain in the windmill," Guru-Guru said, his eyes all but growling in his anger. "It made the windmill spin to fast, it drained the well. Grrrrr!"_

That had been what the caretaker of the windmill Guru-Guru had told him in the future when the angry man had taught him the Song of Storms. Guru-Guru had said Link’s ocarina had been the same as the kid who originally played the song.

_‘I’m the ‘_ punk kid _’ he was talking about,’_ Link realized. “Thanks for your help,” Link said over his shoulder to the Minish as he ran off to the windmill. The Minish watched the boy and fairy then leave, shake its head in amusement, then filled up its bucket in a small puddle on the edge of the well.

Link cracked open the door to the windmill, peering inside.

“Welcome! Welcome!” A jolly voice greeted from the other side of the room. “Come in, don’t be shy.” Link stepped into the room and saw Guru-Guru standing in the same stop as the last time, still turning the crank of his music box.

“Umm, hi?” Link said as he walked up, unsure of how the man would act. The Guru-Guru in future had been a hateful bitter man but his younger self was a man with cheerful smiles.

“Hello! Go around, go around,” Guru-Guru chanted with a laugh. “How I love to go around. What brings you to my windmill?”

Link felt really bad for what he was about to do. Guru-Guru was so happy right now and Link now knew he was the reason the man was so hateful when Link had first met him.

“I’m sorry,” Link told the cheerful man, a look of confusion lighting up Guru-Guru’s face as Link took out the Ocarina of Time and played the Song of Storms. For the second time, or the first time in truth, a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightening filled the air as a torrent of rain came down, making the windmill spin faster and faster. Outside the water inside the well started to drain away, confusing the people still in the village as to why when they saw it the next morning.

“Go around, go arou- wait, it’s going way too fast!” Guru-Guru yelled as he watched his beloved windmill spin out of control. Link didn’t wait around, turning and running out the door before the man got his wits back. Link jogged over to the well and peered into it again.

“It’s dark down there,” Link said softly.

“I’ll light the darkness,” Navi promised her partner. Link nodded and climbed over the edge of the well, for some reason there was a ladder that lead out into the deeps of the well which Link was grateful for cause he didn’t fancy jumping into the well and had no idea how he would climb out otherwise. Navi’s blue light lit up the area around Link as he walked small cavern at the bottom of the well, just barely keeping the shadows at bay. At the bottom of the far wall was the opening Sheik had told Link about. Link gathered up his courage then got down onto his hands and knees, crawling through the opening to the space beyond.

 

*************

 

Author note: Yay! Another chapter is out! I’m sure everyone has noticed I haven’t put anywhere near as much detail into the Water Temple like I did for the Forest and Fire Temples. The reason is simple, I find the Water Temple to be really, really, _really boring_. It’s my least favorite temple in the whole game; I like the Lakebed Temple in Twilight Princess a lot better. I tried to make it a little more interesting but there wasn’t much I could really do. I do hope everyone likes the Boss I came up with.

And OMG, I am so loving what I’ve been seeing of Hyrule Warriors, that has become my favorite design of Ganondorf ever. I also got a lot of ideas to add here to the fic in future chapters. Nothing storyline wise but some of the game play stuff has given me a lot of ideas so be on the lookout!

 

(1) The blond girl with the pigtails whose name is Fado is really, really loyal to Mido and some people believe they may be brother and sister.

(2) Kinda like how the werewolf cure was suspended in the orb in Van Helsing if anyone has seen that movie.

(3) I came across something that said it's Ruto who tells Link this, not Navi. Never made sense to me since she wasn't there in the game so I put her there.

(4) The old man in the blue robe tells Link a similar story in the future part of the game.

(5) The first attack that the Hero's Shade in Twilight Princess teaches that game's Link. Since the Hero's Shade is this Link's ghost that means he had to learn and use the hidden skills at some point.

 


	16. Chapter 16

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

Author note: Special thanks to my new beta Leopardfire97 for going over this for me.

 

Chapter 16

 

When Link entered the chambers inside the bottom of the well, it was pitch dark with only Navi’s soft glowing blue light to guide the way. It made the shadows around him even more sinister and evil looking, sending a shiver down Link’s back. He had got through many dangerous areas since this adventure began, braved many monsters, but the unknown from the shadows still scared him. Link climbed down a ladder propped against a ledge to a stone floor covered in some sort of rusted wire and mounds of dirt.

“Be careful Link,” Navi whispered softly in a long slender ear. “I can hear a Skulltula nearby.” Link nodded, he heard it as well. All Skulltulas made the same scratching noise from moving their legs. Link drew his Kokiri sword, so tiny compared to the Master Sword, and the Deku shield while looking up at the ceiling.

“There!” He said as found the red glowing eyes of the skull-spider. All the red eyes saw him at the same time, the Skulltula quickly descending on its thread in hopes of catching a quick meal. Once it was even with him, Link waited until the Skulltula spun around exposing its soft underbelly. He scowled as he remembered that now that he wasn’t as strong as he was in his adult form he would have to attack twice. “I kinda miss being an adult now.”

“You missed being a kid before,” Navi said as they moved on.

“Yeah but once I got use to being grown up, it was kinda nice,” Link said before coming to a stop. In front of them was a blank wall and as Link looked around there didn’t seem to be any openings. “How do we get past this?”

“Blow it up?” Navi suggested as she looked around. In the corner was a skeleton of either Sheikah, Hylian or Human origin. There was a soft whisper in the otherwise quite chamber that only the fairy could hear. “Link wait! I can hear the whispers of the dead, this poor soul is trying to tell us something.”

Link looked over at the skeleton and shivered slightly. It wasn’t the monstrous Stalfos but seeing a dead body was never fun. Navi hovered near the skull as she listened to the whispers.

“’Look for the eye of truth’, that’s what its saying,” Navi said.

“That’s the whole reason we’re here,” Link said. “Kinda a useless thing to tell us.”

“Maybe…. Maybe it’s a clue!” Navi exclaimed, her tiny voice echoing around the chamber. She flew back in front of the wall and studied it closely. “There is something strange about this wall; I just can’t put my wing on what it is… hey wait, didn’t Sheik say the Shadow Temple is filled with illusions?”

“Yeah, that’s why he sent us here for that Lens of Truth,” Link said. “Why?”

“What if… what if the temple isn’t the only place that has illusions in place?” Navi said as she looked at the wall again. “What if this place does as well? It’s Sheikah made after all. So maybe….” Link watched as Navi backed up in the air then flew at the wall at a high speed. He waited to see if Navi would end up flattening herself against the stone but to his surprise she flew through the wall instead.

“It’s fake! There isn’t a wall there!” Navi called from the other side. The area plunged into darkness as Navi flew to the other side of the wall. “Come on!”

Link reached up and tried to press his hand against the stone but like Navi, his hand passed through the wall as if he was pushing on air.

“Wow,” He said softly as he stepped through. On the other side he turned back to look, it still looked like a solid stone wall, you couldn’t even tell that the young Hylian and fairy had just walked through it. “It looks so real.”

“It does, it’s a high piece of magic,” Navi agreed. “Come on, that lens has got to be somewhere around here.” Link stepped forward with Navi, letting her light guide him. Link yelped as he plunged into a small pool of water he didn’t see until the last second, coughing as he came up for air. As he started to pull himself out of the frigid water he froze as a green light lit up the area.

“Din!” He yelled as he fell back into the water again as a giant Bubble flew past. The Bubble didn’t seem to notice him as it flew along its way.

“It’s ok Link,” Navi said. “Green Bubbles don’t attack like the others, they fly in a set pattern. We saw a few in the Forest Temple remember?”

“Yeah but they weren’t _that_ huge,” Link said as he pulled himself out of the water, standing in a shallow trench filled with ankle deep water. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself as a breeze seemed to fill the chilly dungeon like area. “Which way do we go?”

“Hmm…” Navi looked left then right, she couldn’t see into the darkness past her own light but she had seen the Bubble fly around a corner when coming toward them then disappear behind another one as it flew away. “Follow after the Bubble, we know what the path is at least.” Link nodded and took off after the giant flying skull, his feet kicking up water as he ran. Link could see the green flamed Bubble just ahead until it’s flame when out making him yelp as he came to a stop.

“Where did it go?” He asked.

“Either its flame went out or it turned another corner,” Navi said. “Look, you can see the reflection of the flame on the water, keep going!” Link gulped and started forward again, doing his best to ignore all the shadows around him that seemed to reach for him as he ran, turning another corner as he tried to catch up with the Bubble.

“Wait Link stop!” Navi yelled as she halted in midair, Link running out of the area where her light reached. He quickly turned and ran back, feeling safer under her light than in the darkness. There was something about being a young child again that made the shadows and darkness much scarier.

“What?” Link asked, looking up at his fairy.

“Look at your feet,” Navi said, flying a little higher and putting more power until her glow so Link could see. Link looked down and stepped back slightly, there was a large golden emblem of the Triforce on the floor. “Just like in the Water Temple, play the song.”

“This better not refill the whole place with water,” Link said as he took out the Ocarina of Time and started to play Zelda’s Lullaby. As soon as the last note played, the water spilling out of a fountain shaped like a wide, odd face came to a stop. At the same time all the water in the trench drained into the pool of water under the fountain leaving behind damp stones.

“Well… at least it didn’t fill up with water,” Navi joked. Link rolled his eyes but smiled slightly, stepping back out of the way as the Green Bubble flew past again. As he stepped back, Link tripped over a wooden beam and fell through the wall behind him. “Oh! Another fake wall!”

“Ow,” Link said as he sat up, rubbing his head. He turned and looked at the room he fell into. It was small with what looked like four small prison cells in each corner of the room. In the middle were two wooden beams leaned against each other. Link squinted and crawled closer to the beams, there was some sort of stain on the floor. “Is that… blood?”

“Link, I think we should leave this room,” Navi said. “I sense a Wall Master in here, we should go.” Link quickly agreed, the Wall Masters and Floor Masters were yet another thing that freaked him out. The giant hands deadly and creepy, the Wall Masters were worse as they dropped from the ceiling on top of you out of nowhere. Link got up off the floor and quickly ran back over to the fake wall, exiting the chamber.

“I can’t believe all this is under the well,” Link said as he slowly walked down the middle of the trench.

“I can’t either, and to think people drank water from here,” Navi said with a shake of her head. “Maybe it’s a good thing we ended up draining this well, I can’t believe no one got sick from the water.” Link nodded absently, squinting his eyes as he tried to see into the dark past the light Navi gave off. He heard the flap of wings and a low chuckle behind him as the Green Bubble rounded the corner, the boy quickly stepping off to the side and pressing against the wall as it flew past. The much brighter light from the Bubble’s flame lit up the area revealing a side hallway.

“Let’s try here,” Link said as he dashed toward the hallway once the flying skull had gone past. Navi quickly beat her wings to keep up with her young charge. At the end of the hallway stood a door with a broken lock which Link was able to easily remove and open the door. As soon as Link entered, a torch in corner of the room flared to life, filling the room with a warm light that did nothing to chase away the chill in the air. Link looked around curious once he was use to the brighter light. “What are those?” He asked as he pointed to the long boxes that filled the room.

“Those are coffins,” Navi explained as she shivered, she didn’t like this place.

“Coffins?” Link repeated as he stepped up closer. There were six in the room, three of them had lids on top of them while the other three did not.

“It’s where a person’s body is placed when they die,” Navi told him.

“Why?” Link asked.

“It’s something the human races do,” Navi said. “In the very rare case that a Kokiri dies, their Deku tree parent takes their body so they can be reborn into a new form one day. That doesn’t happen with Hylians and Humans so they place their dead into these little boxes and bury them in the ground.”

“That seems very strange,” Link said as he walked past the coffins. “So I’ll be put in a box one day?” He asked as he remembered that he himself was a Hylain and not a Kokiri.

“I guess,” Navi said. “But hopefully not for a long time.”

“What do you think this is?” Link asked as he reached the back of the room. There was a large wooden door that looked hastily put together, held closed with ropes that had several little slips of paper called ofuda hanging off of them. Link looked through a gap in the wood into the room beyond it, a pair of torches within the chamber providing light. Navi looked through the gap as well and shivered.

Inside was a large sword that had several ropes tying it to the ground with more of the ofuda hanging all over the ropes. Even with the prayer slips muting and binding its power, Navi could feel the evil dark presence surrounding the blade. The dark version of the Master Sword Link destroyed had been filled with dark magic’s but this thing has something else attached to it. She recognized the presence as the shadow spirit that had attacked Link and Sheik in the future. (1)

“We should leave, now,” Navi said nudging at Link’s shoulder. “That’s what Impa sealed away here in the well, let’s not accidently free it before it’s time.”

Link shivered remembering the invisible creature that had attacked him so easily and hurt Sheik so badly.

“Yeah,” He agreed as he turned and ran back the way they came.

 

********

 

“OFFMM!” Link grunted as he fell into the same pond he had when he first entered the chambers under the well but this time there was no water so he landed pretty hard on the bottom. “Ow,” He hissed as he sat up, looking at his hands and knees which were scraped by the rough stones.

“Are you alright?” Navi asked as she flew down to his side. Link had forgotten about the hole and hadn’t seen the edge in time to stop.

“Yeah, no worse than being bit by a dragon or attack by a Stalfos,” Link assured her as he stood up, brushing the dirt from his tunic. “What’s that?” He asked as he caught sight of something on the edge of Navi’s light. Navi floated closer to where he pointed which was another small tunnel like the one he had to crawl through to enter the bottom of the well.

“We should see where it goes, we’ve searched everywhere else for the lens,” Navi suggested. Link nodded and got down onto his hands and knees, wincing as the rough stone dug into his abused shins. The chamber on the other side was a small one with only a door and a Skulltula inside. When Link opened the door, the room was pitch black and had no stone floor, the ground covered in loose dirt and what appeared to be bones. “There is something very dark and very dangerous in this room.”

“What are those?” Link whispered, there was something just beyond the light Navi gave off. Something long and pale, swaying slightly side the side. Link slowly crept closer, Navi hovering close to him from above. The object in question appeared to be a long limb that was so pale it looked a sickly white. At the end of the limb was a red tipped clawed hand. Link shuttered as he looked at it, he could see another one nearby and possible two others in the shadows. “What are these things Navi?”

“I don’t know Link but- LOOK OUT!” Navi tired to warn the boy but it was too late as the deadly looking hand near Link snapped to life and grabbed the startled boy by the face.

“AHH!” He screamed, trying to pry the claws that were painfully digging into his skin off of him. Nearby there was an explosion of dirt and bones as something dug itself out from under the ground. Link could see it out of the corner of his eye just past the pale flesh that held him in place. It was tall and horrifying looking, skin as pale as the four limbs around the room with two skinny limbs in the place of where normal arms would be on a person that had no hands at the end. The thing’s neck was long and its head hand a large mouth filled with deadly looking teeth. Link yelled in alarm as the thing opened its mouth wide preparing to take a bit out of the boy.

With a burst of strength Link finally broke hold of the clawed hand that was holding him in place and rolled out of the way just in time as the creature’s mouth snapped down where Link had just been.

“Fleeessshhh…. blllooodddd,” The creature said, its voice sounding like something from beyond the grave. “Giivvveee ittt toooo meeee.”

“Link, it’s a Dead Hand!” Navi realized.

“That’s great Navi,” Link said as he ran back to the door that led out of the room but a set of bars had fallen over it, locking them in. “How do I defeat it cause we’re not getting out of here any other way?”

“The head is the weak point and WATCH OUT!” Navi warned as the Dead Hand had come close enough again to try and bite at Link. Link yelped and drew the Kokiri sword, slashing the creature across the face before it could do any damage. The Dead Hand roared in pain but it was determine to have a meal of fresh flesh, leaning down to try and bite Link again.

“HHHEEY!” Link jumped to the side and brought his sword up in an upward swipe, cutting into the creature’s pale skin. Deciding that this wasn’t going to be an easy meal the Dead Hand turned around and scooted away several feet then dug its way back underground. “Damn… how am I suppose to attack it underground?”

“You’ll have to draw it out again, those hands must be connected to it somehow,” Navi said. “Just get close enough for one of them to try and grab you.”

“Those claws hurt Navi,” Link said as he touched one of the scratches on the side of his face. “And I can’t fight if it’s holding me down.”

“You got a better idea?” Navi snipped back. Link sighed and shook his head; no he didn’t have a better idea. They were trapped in this room with that creature and Link had no other ideas of how to draw the thing out. Looking up at the closest hand, Link slowly and carefully walked toward it keeping his eyes peeled for any sudden movements.

Once he was close enough, the demonic hand lunged at him only to grab a handful of dirt and bones as Link rolled to the side. The movement of one of its arms was enough to alert the Dead Hand as it quickly clawed its way back to the surface. Hissing words about eating his flesh and drinking his blood again, the Dead Hand had a very one track mind, it moved over to where Link was waiting on it. The Dead Hand didn’t try any new tactics as it leaned down to take a bite out of Link giving the young hero the opening he needed to attack the creature until it retreated once again underground.

“It’s not very smart, is it..." Link muttered softly to Navi.

“The undead tend to be very stupid, all they know is attacking and some cases eating anything that moves,” Navi agreed. “Stalfos are the only undead who seem to have any sort of mind, that’s what makes them so dangerous. Stalchildren as well to a lesser extent.”

Link nodded absently as he employed the same plan as before, moving close to the nearest ghastly hand then moving out of the way as it moved to grab him.

“Hey!” Link yelled in alarm as he accidently rolled into the path of another hand which grabbed him by the back of his tunic. Dead Hand burst out from under the ground and quickly moved toward where Link was captured.

“Frrreeessshhh meeeaaattttt….” The creature hissed in hunger. Link’s eyes were wide with fright as he struggled to get out of the hand’s hold but there was a glint of determination in those blue orbs as the Dead Hand came close to where Link was held. With a finally yell Link ripped himself away from the limb holding him, his tunic ripping in the back. His foot slid on the dirt, sending him to the ground with another yell. See its chance to finally catch its meal, Dead Hand opened its mouth wide and swooped down for a bite.

“HEY!” Link thrust the Kokiri sword deep into the open mouth and through the back of the creature’s head. Dead Hand gave a loud death knell as it fell to the side, the four hands all collapsing to the ground as well. Link panted as he sat up, watching as the Dead Hand disappeared in a flash of blue flames, leaving behind his blade.

“Whew…. By Nayru that was close,” Navi said in relief. A flash of light caught the fairy and Hylain boy’s attention as a wooden chest appeared in the back of the room. Link got up off the ground, brushing the dirt off of himself, then picked up his blade which he placed back in its scabbard. Opening the chest Link gave a little shout of triumph as he found the Lens of Truth at last.

 

*********

 

“What in the name of Farore were you doing to tear your tunic up like this?” A voice asked from behind Link as he walked through the Kokiri village. He had headed straight for the forest as soon as he left the caverns under the well with his new prize. He had stayed long enough to test out the Lens of Truth, now able to see through the illusions he had encountered before and marveled at the piece of Sheikah magic.

“It’s a long story,” Link said as he turned to face the other people.

“Well it looks like something attacked your back,” The Kokiri said with her hands on her hips. It was Didi, the village’s seamstress, who was responsible for everyone’s clothing. She was average height for a Kokiri adult with reddish brown hair tied back in a braid that hung over one shoulder and freckles all over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Above her floated her Guardian Fairy Dex with a rusty red color. (2)

“That would be pretty close to what happened,” Link admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had been heading for his tree house to change into a spare tunic though he didn’t have many that really fit him anymore. Didi sighed; Link was always tearing up his tunics by either getting into fights with Mido or some dangerous stunt in the Lost Woods.

“Well come on then, I’ll have to fit you with a new tunic,” Didi said waving her hand for Link to follow her. “By the way, I’m happy you finally got a fairy Link.”

“Ummm yeah… me too,” Link said. He knew he wasn’t supposed to have a Fairy partner now, not really since he was a Hylian instead of a Kokiri. But the only ones who knew were The Great Deku Tree and he was sure Saria had known as well or at least had a feeling. She had said she knew Link had been different from the rest of the village. Navi didn’t say anything either but shared a look with Dex. All the fairies in the village knew Link had been a Hylian but had been told by the Great Deku Tree that it was to be a secret from everyone, including Link so Navi hadn’t been able to tell Link that he was a Hylian the whole time they knew each other. As such, the fairies hadn’t told their Kokiri partners that Link was not a Kokiri.

Didi led Link to her home that doubled as her workshop. The inside was simple, like most Kokiri homes. There was a bed to the side and a small fire pit used for cooking. A table sat in the middle of the room with tree stumps placed around it for chairs. Along one of the walls sat a loom and piles of green and brown fabrics and leathers that Didi used to make tunics, dresses, shorts and hats for all of the villagers.

“Alright, take that raggedy thing off,” Didi said with a wave of her hand. Link, having no concept of being modest in front of someone of the opposite sex even after being an adult for a short time, pulled the tunic off leaving him in shorts and his boots. The Kokiri girl didn’t even bat an eye, since a Kokiri’s body didn’t physically age past the ages of 10 to 12 in fact it was rare when a girl Kokiri grew a slight cleavage, none of the eternal children of the forest gave much thought to the other’s bodies. Yes, the Kokiri could fall in love and some even married but none of that was based in sexual attraction since the Kokiri didn’t reproduce like the other races. There was a reason why they called the Great Deku tree ‘Father’ after all. (3)

Didi tisked to herself as she held up the ruined tunic. “I don’t think I’ll be able to repair it, it’s only good for scraps now,” she said as she tossed the tunic to the side and walked over to a pile of finished tunics to get one for Link to dress in. Link looked around absently, one hand on a hip while the other hung by his side and one foot tapped on the ground.

“What’s that?” He asked having noticed a rather large cutout of a tunic on Didi’s sewing table.

“Hmm?” Didi looked up, holding two different tops in her hands as she tried to decide which one would fit Link. “Oh that? Something Fado asked me to do. A rather strange request, he asked me to take a tunic that would fit a human male. I don’t know why he would want something like that but it’s a new challenge. It’s just the rough draft as I’ve never seen a human before.”

Link suddenly realized that the would-be tunic on the sewing table was the same tunic he wore in his adult body. Or at least it was the start of what would be his tunic anyway. The blond child wonder why Fado would ask for something like that, as far as he was aware his friend had no idea what the future would hold. (4)

“Well I think you might get a chance one day,” Link said as he remembered that one of the Know-At-All-Brothers in the future had mentioned that the Sheikah had brought different animals to the Kokiri village like he asked Impa too. Didi gave Link a look then handed over a tunic for the boy to put on.

“There, prefect as always,” Didi clapped her hands and smiled as the new tunic top settled on Link’s thin frame. Link thanked the seamstress and gave her a red rupee to pay for the tunic. As Link reached the door, he stopped and looked back at the child-like adult.

“Maybe you should make a shirt and pants to go with that tunic,” He suggested. “I think white would be a good color.” Then walked out of the house with Navi.

“Hmm…. What do you think Dex?” Didi asked as she mulled over Link’s suggestion.

“It could work I guess,” Dex said as he settled on Didi’s shoulder, his red light dying out around him.

“Yes… yes it could,” Didi said as she looked over at the pile of fabrics she used. “But where would I get white from?” Luckily for Didi, weeks later the Sheikah who delivered Cows, Cuccos and Goats to the village was able to supply the Kokiri girl with many types of fabrics at her request. One Sheikah teen, who was luckily the same size as Link’s adult form in the future, even agreed to model for Didi so she could get Link’s future clothing just the right size.

 

********

 

“Ok, we have the Lens of Truth so we have a way to get through the Shadow Temple now,” Navi said as followed Link through Hyrule Castle Town. “So why aren’t we going back to the future?” Link had used the Prelude of Light to return to the Temple of Time but instead of going into the chamber in the back of the temple and drawing the Master Sword so their spirits could return to their future forms, Link had left the temple instead.

“Remember what the Fairy of Magic said?” Link asked. “She said she use to have a spring here but had to abandon it after Zelda took over Hyrule. Everyone is acting like nothing has changed so maybe Zelda hasn’t done anything yet.”

“Oh I see, and you think the Great Fairy is still by the castle,” Navi said.

“Yeah,” Link nodded. “We’re here anyway so we should check it out before we go back.”

“Good thinking,” Navi said. No one paid much attention to the young boy or the fairy flying by his side as they exited the city and walked up the path to the castle. “Din!” Navi exclaimed as they rounded the bend in the path where the gate sat. The stone archway was blackened by fire and the iron gates where a twisted, melted mess.

“Wh-what happen?” Link said softly with blue eyes wide. “Where’s the guard that was here?” Link remembered the man, unlike the rest of the guards he had been nice to Link when he turned the boy away from the gate the first time he visited the castle and asked to see Zelda. Link slowly walked up to the sorry remains of the gate, kneeling down next to it.

“It must have happen during Zelda’s takeover of the castle,” Navi said softly. “Stay here, I’m going to have a look ahead.” The blue fairy zipped off to see what else had changed.

As Navi flew over the castle grounds she noticed there were no guards along the path up to the castle or walking the grounds in front of the gates. The fairy started to wonder if there were _any_ guards left at the castle when she spotted two figures standing in front of the gate to the draw bridge. Navi quickly handed on the limb of a nearby tree, dousing her light so she wouldn’t be noticed. Pushing aside a large leaf Navi studied the two guards and shivered to herself. If these were the same guards from before, they had changed greatly now.

Gone were the light armor and shorts they had been wearing, the two soldiers before her were dressed head to foot thick, heavy duty armor. Every inch of skin was covered and all Navi could see of the people inside were eyes that appeared to glow from within. Both worn green armor and stood at attention with swords and shields drawn. Careful not to be noticed, Navi quickly flew over to the wall surrounding the castle and look in. More of the soldiers walked about in the heavy armor in colors of red, green and blue. Navi could also see more guards along parts of the wall standing guard with bows and arrows ready to attack anyone who came up to the castle unannounced.

_‘How is it no one in the city knows how much has changed at the castle?_ _’_ Navi wondered as she flew back to where she left Link. _‘Do they not know that their king is dead? That his daughter has already started the steps toward concurring Hyrule for the next 7 years?_ _’_ The fairy had no answer for that and wondered how long it would be before everything descended into chaos.

“How does it look?” Link asked as soon as he saw Navi again.

“All the guards I could see were up by the castle,” Navi said. “Link, the guards have changed. Something has changed about them and I have a feeling they aren’t even their selves anymore. I could sense some sort of dark magic surrounding all of them, not unlike the mind control spell Zelda used on Dark.”

“So all the guards are under Zelda and the witches’ control?” Link asked. Navi nodded in agreement.

“Get out your map so we can see where the Great Fairy’s fountain is located, visit then get out of here,” Navi said. Link withdrew the map from his pouch and knelt on the dusty path, spreading the map out in front of him. Navi landed on top of the paper and studied it. “Here, it’s just a little further up the path. We should be safe, I didn’t see any guards around this area.”

“Great because I don’t fancy trying to fight the guards when I’m small like this,” Link said as he folded the map back up and jogged down the road. Down the path was a fork in the road, one way lead up to the castle while the other continued down toward the mountains. Link vaguely remembered seeing the fork before but hadn’t bothered checking out where the road led as he was too concerned about how he was going to get into the castle at the time. This time Link took off down the second path to find it lead to a dead end. The only thing there was a boulder and a few scattered rocks. “There’s nothing here.”

“Well remember the Great Fairy’s other fountain was blocked by a stone wall,” Navi reminded him. “Maybe it’s the same, just try blowing the area up.” Link guessed that was a good idea as any and set a bomb at the base of the boulder before running back down the path before it blew up. Navi flew up high to keep watch incase the sound of the bomb going off attracted the attention of the guards.

**Ka-boom!**

The ground shook under Link’s feet from the size of the explosion which cleared away the boulder revealing a hole just large enough for Link to crawl through. Navi noticed that the guards up at the castle didn’t even seem to notice anything. Either they hadn’t noticed or had been ordered not to leave the castle for anything.

“Come on,” Link said with a wave of his hand as he ran back to the newly revealed hole.

 

**********

 

Inside the fairy fountain Link approached the pool of water at the head of the room, coming to stand on top of the Triforce emblem and softly played Zelda’s Lullaby on his ocarina. Instantly the Great Fairy of Magic sprung out of the spring with a crackle peering down at Link with a grin as she ‘laid’ on her side in the air.

“Welcome again Link,” She said. “Allow me to teach you a magic spell. With this spell you’ll be able to create a dome of fire to alight anything around you in flames. I give you Din’s Fire!” A red light gather between the Fairy’s hands this time then flew into Link’s chest. He was filled a warm sensation of the crackling flames in of a fire and how to use the spell.

“Thank you,” Link said with a smile. The Fairy and winked at Link before disappearing back into the fountain. As Link and Navi left the cave, the young blond boy looked up at Navi in confusion. “How did she know who I am if the first time I met her was in the future?”

“I don’t question the ways of the Great Fairies,” Navi said. “Come on, it’s high time we return to our quest and tackle the Shadow Temple.

 

*********

 

Link blinked in surprise as instead of the chamber of time he found himself within the chamber of the sages after he withdrew the Master Sword from the pedestal of time. A sound caught his attention and he turned to find a familiar Kokiri and a Zora he didn’t know standing behind him.

“Fado?” Link asked in surprise.

“Link, my friend,” Fado said with a smile.

“What are you doing here? How are you here?” Link asked. “I thought only the sages could come here?”

“You are correct,” Fado agreed.

“I don’t understand,” Navi said. “After Impa there is only one Sage we need to awake so both of you can’t be the last sage.”

“You do have one last sage to awaken,” The Zora spoke up.

“My friend here is correct,” Fado agreed.

“Then how-“ Link started to ask.

“I have a small story to tell, if you will listen.” Fado said with a smile.

“Alright,” Link agreed, still confused. Fado smiled and told his story…

_After the Goddess Hylia, reborn as the maiden Zelda, and her chosen champion defeated the Demon King the Master Sword was laid to rest by her first master until she was needed once again. Zelda and her champion instead of returning to the sky with the rest of their people decided to stay below the clouds in what would one day come to be called the land of Hyrule. As the years past, Zelda knew that one day the Master Sword would be needed once again to rise up against the reborn King of Evil in whatever form he was born in and knew she would no longer be around to bless the Bane of Evil with the power needed to fight._

_Knowing what needed to be done, Zelda and her champion awoke and gathered the sages of that time and searched the lands until they found two to bless a new sagehood to, creating the Sage of Earth and Sage of Wind. The new Sages were tasked with the duty of praying to the Goddesses to bless the Master Sword with her full powers._

“I am Fado, the Sage of Wind,” Fado announced as he finished the tale.

“I am Mako, the Sage of Earth,” The Zora man said with a slight bow.

“So… you’re different from the other sages?” Link asked.

“Yes, Mako and myself pray to the Goddesses to provide the Master Sword with the magic that allows it to be the Bane of Evil,” Fado agreed with a smile. “We have watched over you alongside Rauru while you slept, protecting you from the Queen of Evil until you were strong enough to rise against her.”

“So you knew everything all along?” Link asked.

“I… knew you were a Hylian, Tadi and I were summoned by the Great Deku Tree the night your mother brought you into the safety of the forest and passed away,” Fado confessed.

“Tadi?” Link asked.

“Wasn’t Tadi a Kokiri that use to live in the deep part of the forest?” Navi asked as she tried to remember where she heard that name before.

“Tadi was the pervious Sage of the Forest, he and the others were slain by Zelda and her two witches after she took control of Hyrule. Rauru was the only one to survive as he was here at the time,” Fado explained. “Mako and myself are unknown, hidden so we can pray to the Goddesses when the Master Sword is needed. Only the Sages and those with the blood of Hylia, the Hyrule royal family, know of us.”

“Of course, if you’re needed to power the Master Sword then it would make sense that your existence was known to a very few,” Navi said.

“Yes,” Fado agreed then turned back to Link. “Tadi and I were told that you were a child of destiny and was accepted under the forest’s protection. Tadi returned to his duties while I was to watch over you my young friend alongside Saria.”

“So Saria did know that I’m a Hylian?” Link asked.

“She had her own theories but no, we never told her,” Fado admitted.

“Hmm…. Why did you ask Didi to make the tunic?” Link asked.

“I thought it would help ease you to have a bit of the forest with you,” Fado said with a laugh. “Plus you look smashing in that tunic. Now, off you go my young friend. I’m sure the Shadow Sage is still waiting.”

 

**********

 

After playing the Nocturne of Shadow to teleport to the graveyard again, Link this time walked down into the small chamber that marked the start of the temple. He looked around the room and all the torches that sounded a small platform then at the door.

“I guess all the torches have to be lit at once,” Navi guessed. “It’s a good thing we visited the Great Fairy in the past.”

“I’m curious as to why she didn’t just teach me the spell when she taught me Farore’s Wind,” Link said as he stepped up onto the plate form. “Din’s Fire!” Link gathered a small of fire red light in his hands as he drew them to his side then quickly knelt, punching the ground with one fist. A dorm of fire spread out from where Link knelt, lighting each torch as the magical fire spread out around him.

“Again, I don’t question the actions of the Great Fairies,” Navi said with a sigh. “It’s all part of the quest!”

Link snorted softly, sometimes the rules of an adventure confused the hell out of him. As the last of the torches lit up, the stone door with the crying eye symbol of the Sheikah slowly lifted out of the way with a grinding sound. As soon as the door was open, Link entered the temple, shivering as the cool feeling of death washed over him.

_‘I am not going to like this place,_ _’_ He thought to himself.

Down the corridor and past a pit that Link needed to use the Longshot to get over Link found himself facing a stone wall with an face etched into it.

_The Shadow will yield only to one with the eye of truth hand down in Kakariko Village._ A ghostly voice seemed to say, making Link shudder. He reached up to touch the stone face only to find his hand falling through it as if it wasn’t there, a fake wall then. Walking through it, Link found a room with a large bird-like statue surrounded by large skulls on top of pillars. Across from the statue on the other side of a pit was a door in the wall with etchings around it to look like it was part of a face, with a long tongue-like platform under the edge of the door.

_Make my beak face the Skull of Truth. An alternative route is a decent into darkness_ _…_ A ghostly whisper seemed to drift from the bird statue.

Link walked over to the pit and glanced over the edge into the dark abyss, gulping slightly. It looked like a long way down and he couldn’t see the bottom. Next to his foot was a stone which he pushed off over the edge then listened for the sound of it hitting the bottom but as seconds turned into minutes Link quickly realized that either this pit didn’t have a bottom or it was so far down he couldn’t hear the stone when it reached the bottom. Either way falling down there would result in his death.

The teen judged the distance between himself and the edge of the platform then shook his head.

“Too far to try and jump across,” he said. Turning back to the statue Link looked at it curiously. “So what does it mean a ‘Skull of Truth’? All the skulls look the same to me.”

“Remember Sheik warned us this place if filled with illusions,” Navi said. “We can’t take anything for face value. That’s why we retrieved the Lens of Truth.” Link nodded and took out the magical lens, holding it up so he could look through it at the skulls. Through the lens Link could see that none of the skulls were real except one, three down from the torch that the bird was currently facing.

“Amazing,” Link said softly as he put the lens up.

“So which one is it?” Navi asked.

“That one,” Link said as he pointed at the skull he knew was real. He looked at the statue, wondering how he was supposed to have the bird’s beak face the Skull of Truth. He pushed against the slab of stone that had the Sheikah symbol etched into it, grunting as his muscles strained against the stone. He was starting to feel foolish when the stone finally gave and the statue started to turn. “Tell me when I’m near the right skull,” Link grunted as he continued pushing.

“Ok… now!” Navi said loudly as the statue got close to facing the right skull. With another grunt Link stepped back and watched as the statue finished spinning all the way and settled in front of the Skull of Truth. Hearing the sound of metal moving, Link sighed and turned to look at the doorway that was across the bottomless pit.

“So the door is open now but I haven’t got any way to get across,” Link said as he reached up to grasp his shoulder, moving it around in a circle to ease the left over strain of moving the stone.

“Well there has to be a way across somewhere,” Navi said. Link signed and looked around again, the walls were covered with the same stone etching like the fake one he had to walk through to get into the room.

“Maybe one of these faces is also fake,” Link said to himself softly as he used the Lens of Truth to get a better look. He quickly found that all the etchings were real except then one he had walked through to come into the chamber and one other along the same wall. “Sheik wasn’t kidding, this place is just seeped in illusions.”

“Sheikah magic, I never seen any other race able to perform such feats,” Navi agreed as she followed her partner. The other side of the fake wall was a short hallway with just a single door, on the other side of the wall was a similar hallway that ended at a dirt wall with just a single skull in the middle.

_One who gathers the Eye of Truth will be able to see what is hidden in the darkness_ Link reached up to press his hand against the wall, finding it as fake as the last and entered the chamber beyond. The room was covered with a dirt floor and each section of the wall had a small skull in the middle. While walking around the outside of the room Link used the Lens of Truth to find his way through the fake walls.

_What is hidden in the darkness... Tricks full of ill will... You can't see the way forward..._

“I am getting real sick of that voice,” Link said as he shivered against. “It gives me the creeps.”

“Well it’s a good way to keep the faint of heart away,” Navi said. “Even if it keeps giving us clues about the Lens of Truth.” Link grunted softly, maybe the voice did give them clues but it was still creepy. The next chamber was just like the last, Link using the Lens to find the fake walls again. In the corner of the room he found a wall that lead to a short corridor that ended in a head iron door. Pushing it open with a grunt, Link found himself in a room with a dirt floor fill with bits and pieces of bones. And a familiar sight from his youth, or two days ago depending on how you looked at it.

“Din… not again,” Link groaned as he saw the pale, skinny limbs of the Death Hand, twice as many arms than the one he had killed in the bottom of the well.

 

***************

 

Author Note: Happy New Years everyone! And I hope everyone had a good whatever holiday you celebrate during this time of the year.

(1) I honestly think Bongo Bongo is one of the saddest, most disappointing bosses in Ocarina of Time. I know some people like him but I thought he was a disappointing end for the Shadow Temple. So I'm replacing him with a much better boss, this is Death Sword, an mini-boss from Twilight Princess. I thought Death Sword fit in much better with the Shadow Temple theme than Bongo Bongo does. And before anyone asks how Death Sword will be in the Twilight Princess timeline if Link is gonna end up destroying him in the Temple, remember that'll all happen in the 'Child Timeline' while everything Link does here is a part of the 'Adult'. This won't affect what happens to the other part of the timelines.

 

(2) I'm sure there are more Kokiri in the village than what we see in the game. I think most of the Kokiri have jobs or skills that they use to help the rest of the village, like the Know-It-All brothers are likely the teachers and one Kokiri runs the shop.

 

(3) Remember, the Kokiri only have the body of a child, they're still adults so it's possible for them to fall in love. They just don't reproduce like the other races do.

 

(4) Fado's figurine in Wind Waker mentioned that he was friends with the 'Hero of Time' so he would have been the Sage of Wind back during the time as well. Somebody had to make Link's Kokiri style tunic.

 


	17. Chapter 17

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

Author note: This chapter is currently un-beated.

 

Chapter 17

 

Link was not happy about fighting this Din-damned creature again so soon after defeating the one in the well. The room already plunged into darkness as the door slammed shut and a set of bars locked the Hylian teen and fairy in the room with the Dead Hand. Navi instantly moved to float above Link’s head to provide some light.

“I think I should have invested in a lantern or something,” Link said with a sigh as he looked at the long limbs protruding out of the ground.

“It’s ok, I don’t mind being a light source,” Navi assured him, trying to make her light as bright as possible. Link sighed softly and put his hands on his hips. He knew this song and dance, get close enough for the hands to try and grab him so the Dead Hand would be lured out from under the ground. Except this time there were more hands for him to avoid and there wasn’t as large of a space between the limbs.

As Link stared around the room an idea occurred to him. Feeling a bit silly, Link took out the Lens of Truth and looked through it. At first he didn’t see anything, nothing seemed out of place. But as he started to draw away the Lens a dark shadow out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Looking again, Link turned toward the shadow.

“What? What do you see?” Navi asked.

“There’s a shadow on the floor,” Link said as he pulled the Lens away from his eyes. The area where he had seen the shadow appeared the same as the rest of the floor now but when he looked through the Lens again he could see the shadow. “Hmmm…” he took out a bomb and placed it right over the shadow, lighting the wick and quickly moving to the other side of the room, shoving the lens into a pocket on his tunic and staying just out of reach of the Dead Hand’s limbs.

The bomb went off with a loud explosion, sending dirt and bits of bones flying everywhere. Among the blast the Dead Hand rose up out of the ground with a roar of pain. Bits of smoke rose from being attacked by the bomb and when it spotted Link, the undead creature let out a hiss of anger. It quickly shuffled toward Link who drew the Master Sword and his shield.

This Dead Hand was a little quicker than the one from his youth, making Link wonder if it was drawing power from the Temple itself as the Dead Hand snapped its wide gaping jaws in the spot where Link had been.

“Hey!” Link yelled as the Master Sword dug deeply into the undead flesh making the Dead Hand roar in pain. It quickly retreated and dug its way underground while Link drew the Lens of Truth from his tunic pocket and tracked the shadow on the ground that told him where the Dead Hand was. “Damn, the thing is hiding among the hands.”

“Tell me where and I’ll float over the spot so you can toss a bomb over,” Navi suggested.

“Alright do it,” Link agreed. Navi weaved her way through the pale limbs until Link told her to stop. Putting away the Lens again, Link used Navi’s light to target the spot. The lit bomb bounced and rolled, just landing in the right spot before going off, Navi racing away so she wouldn’t be caught in the blast.

“III will killll you mooortallll,” Dead Hand roared as it was blasted out of the ground again, two of the pale limbs from before blasted to bits. It rushed at Link who was ready for it as he swiped at the creature with the Master Sword causing it to roar in pain. Letting out an angered hiss the Dead Hand attempted to bite Link’s arm that was closest to it only to meet the stinging pain of the sword as it made contact with its body. Retreating again under the ground it moved to the far side of the room on the other side of its limbs.

“Alright! Where is it this time Link?” Navi asked. Using the Lens again Link located the Dead Hand on the other side of the room and directed Navi toward the area. But as she flew toward the spot one of the hands snapped out and wrapped around Navi, completely muting her light. “Hey! Let go of me!” Navi’s muffled voice yelled from within her prison.

“Nayru damn it,” Link growled in anger.

“Link, get me out of here!” Navi called.

“I can’t see without your light Navi,” Link answered.

“Well do something!!” Navi demanded as she was slowly crushed by the hand. Link cursed again and used the Lens to try to gauge where the Dead Hand was hidden. The Lens of Truth just barely gave him enough of a picture to see where the Dead Hand was. Whispering a prayer to the Goddesses, Link tossed a bomb over to where he had seen the shadow and quickly drew the Master Sword in wait. He heard the Dead hand roaring as it was blasted back to the surface, flinching as he felt bits of bone pelt against his face.

“IIII smeeelll youuurr feeeaarr moorrtallll,” Dead Hand hissed as it slowly shuffled its way toward Link, using its sense of smell and the warmth of Link’s body to track the Elven youth. Link didn’t say anything as he closed his eyes and used his long ears to track the sound of Dead Hand slowly moving over the ground. When he felt the creature’s cold body was close, Link quickly pushed his magic into the blade in his hand.

“HEY!” The Master Sword sang as flames of magic rose up around the silvery blade. Link spun on his heel in a spin attack. The Dead Hand roared loudly in pain as the magically charged blade rip through it, tearing its body in half. Link panted as the two halves of the Dead Hand landed on the ground twitching in death. He could hear the remaining hands in the room fall to the ground as well and a blue light fill the area as Navi escaped the slack grip of the hand that held her as a prisoner.

“Whew finally,” Navi said as she rose up in the area. “That thing stunk like a rotting corpse.”

“Isn’t that what it is?” Link asked amused as he flicked off the bits of Dead Hands blood and flesh off the Master Sword then slid it back into its scabbard. The Dead Hand’s body burned away by green fire leaving nothing behind. As soon as the fire died away the bars on the door slid up out of the way and a flash of light at the back of the cave alerted the two heroes that a chest had appeared. “This better had been worth it,” Link said as he opened the chest and found a pair of metal soles at the bottom. They looked a bit like the iron soles that he found in Zora’s Domain but were a golden color and had a pair of wings on the wide.

“What are they?” Link asked as he held them up for Navi to see.

“Hmm… well they go over your boots that much I can tell,” Navi said. Link rolled his eyes, he had been able to see that as well. “Put them on; let’s see what they can do.” Link sighed and closed the chest so he could sit on top of it. He easily slid the soles on over the bottom of his boots and stood up. But when he tried to walk forward he found his feet moving but he did not, at least not a first. It took a few seconds for Link to get any traction on the ground.

“Woah… what are these things?” Link asked as he stopped moving, finding himself sliding a few inches still before his body stopped moving as well. It kinda reminded him of walking on ice.

“Go outside where there’s light,” Navi requested. As soon as they were outside the chamber Navi flew down to the ground and leaned down on her hands and knees her face close to the ground as she looked. “Link! You’re feet are hovering over the ground!” She called as she quickly shot into the air excitedly. “The bottoms of your boots are not touching the ground, you’re just barely hovering.”

“Hover boots huh?” Link asked amazed as he looked down at the boots. “That could be useful.”

“Oh! I’ve heard of those!” Navi exclaimed. “They’re Minish made!”

“Minish made these?” Link asked as he took off the golden soles so he could look at them in the light. “I know they made some amazing things but I had no idea they could make something like this.”

“Well they may have had help from a human,” Navi concluded. “But it’s their magic that makes it possible. I heard of the other boots they made before called the Pegasus Boots a long time ago.”

“Pegasus Boots?” Link repeated. “What are those?”

“They have the ability to make anyone who wears them run really really fast,” Navi explained. “Link with these you’ll be able to over that pit. You’ll be able to hover in the air long enough to reach the other side.”

“You think so? That pit was pretty large,” Link pointed out as he slid the Hover soles into his magic pouch and headed back to the room with the pit he couldn’t cross before.

“Hey trust in the Minishs’ magic,” Navi said. Link sighed and nodded his head as they reentered the room with the pit. Putting the Hover soles back on his boots Link back up to give himself plenty of room and started to run. As soon as his feet met the empty air over the pit a golden glow started to shine under Link’s feet as he continued to run forward. It only lasted a few seconds before going out just giving Link enough time to grab the edge of the tongue-shaped platform as he started to fall.

Link grunted softly as he pulled himself up on the platform breathing heavily.

“That was close,” He said as he moved to sit up.

“You made it though,” Navi pointed out.

“Barely,” Link agreed. “Let’s go,” he added as he stood, taking off the Hover soles then entering the hallway beyond the gate.

 

*******

 

Link gulped as he watched the double sided scythe spin in the middle of the room. The scythes looked like they were being held by two robed skeletons, he didn’t what it was about the image but all he could think when he saw it was ‘death’. He shuddered slightly then looked around at the rest of the room. He saw a gate on the other side of the room and carefully made his way toward it keeping to the edges of the room so he wouldn’t be sliced opened by the very sharp blades of the scythes.

“There’s a chest inside,” Link said as he peered through the bars. He gripped the bars and tried to pull the gate up but it wouldn’t budge. Huffing to himself, Link stepped back slightly, careful not to put himself in the way of the deadly sharp scythes, and looked at the gate. “How does it open?”

“I don’t see any key holes,” Navi said then turned to look around the room. “I don’t see any switches or crystals either. Unless they’re hidden by Sheikah magic, try looking for anything hidden in the room.”

Link used the Lens of Truth to look but couldn’t see any switches that would raise the gate. He did see a glimmer around the room that appeared to be some sort of rupees like jewel, just big enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Glancing over at the gate again, Link spied five indents on the front that looked roughly the same size. Running forward Link rolled and ducked under the spinning blades, picking up first one jewel then the other then rolled into an alcove where he found a third.

“What are you doing?” Navi asked alarmed as she flew over to Link’s side.

“Look at these,” He said as he held up one of the jewels for Navi to see. “There are indents on the gate that look like these things.”

“…. You think these are the way to open the gate?” Navi asked.

“Why not? We needed the spiritual stones to open the Door of Time,” Link pointed out.

“Well it’s worth a try,” Navi agreed. Link slid the jewels in the pocket of his tunic and looked out around the room. There was a second alcove across the room where he could see the barest glint of another jewel. Carefully making his way over Link plucked it off the ground then looked around.

“There was 5 indents, there has to be a fifth jewel somewhere,” Link said. He didn’t see any more jewels glinting in the light of the room. “Navi, fly up and see if you can spot it.”

“On it,” Navi said as she flew up high in the chamber looking around. It took a couple of minutes but she finally spotted the last jewel key sitting on a platform in the corner of the room. “Over here Link!”

Link ran around the edge of the room where Navi waited for him. She flew down and landed on the platform, her blue light going out as she stood next to the jewel. Rubbing her tiny hands together Navi picked up the silver jewel with a small grunt then carried it over to the edge.

“Catch!” She called as she dropped it over the edge. The jewel landed in Link’s hand with a small bounce. With all five jewels in his hand Link walked back over to the gate and carefully inserted one into each indent. Once the last jewel was in the gate slid up with a grinding noise allowing Link to grab the key from inside the chest.

Key in hand, Link and Navi returned to the room with the destroyed remains of a Beamos and located the door that the key belonged too. Behind the door Link found a barely lit winding corridor filled with Skulltulas that attempted to get the drop on the young hero. It was halfway down the corridor that they found a new trap.

“What’s that sound?” Link asked softly as he nearly walked off the edge of a drop off in the floor.

“Sounds like metal against metal and chopping,” Navi said. She concentrated on making her light brighter so Link could see ahead of him.

“What in the name of Din are those things?” Link asked as he safely dropped to the ground and saw a large wedge-shaped blade drop to the floor then rises up before dropping again.

“A guillotine,” Navi explained. “It’s not moving very fast, as soon as it lifts up you can run under it.”

“This temple is very different from either Sheikah village we’ve been in,” Link said with a shake of his head as he ran under the rising blade. Kakariko Village was a simple village but it was nice and calm while the hidden Sheikah Village in the forest was beautiful to look at. Neither place hinted at anything like this death trap of a temple, unless you count the chambers at the bottom of the well of course.

“Well Sheik did warn us that his people had a dark past,” Navi pointed out as she followed her partner past the two guillotines. She gasped and flew in front of Link’s face when the rounded the corner. “Link wait! I sense a Wall Master here. Be careful.”

“I’m kinda surprised we haven’t run into any Wall or Floor Masters before now,” Link commented as he gazed up at the ceiling. It took a moment but he was able to pick out the restless shifting of the Wall Master laying in wait for Link to walk under it. “Ready?”

“GO!” Navi yelled, flying after Link as the blond took off into a run. The Wall Master let go of the stone ceiling and attempted to trap the teen as he pasted under the giant un-dead hand. Link dove and rolled forward at the last second, the cold fingers of the Wall Master just missing him. As he rolled to his feet he drew the Master Sword and his shield, spinning on his heel and delivering a blow that sliced the Wall Master in half as it sprung at Link in an attempt to capture the young Hylain. The Wall Master fell to the floor in two pieces, its long fingers twitching in death before it was destroyed in a flash of fire.

“I’ve always wondered why they go up in flames when the monsters die,” Link said as he slid his blade back into its scabbard.

“Magic,” was Navi’s answer. Link sighed, sometimes that was Navi’s answer to everything, and turned to face the chamber at the end of the corridor. It was huge, Link could see more of those guillotine things and when he squinted he could just make out a couple doors beyond the haze that seem to fill the room. Link walked along the stone platform that held the guillotines, the first ones were slow and easy to get past but the last one dropped as soon as it lifted up, making a chopping motion that was much faster than the others. “You’re going to have to run really fast to get past that one,” Navi noted.

“Yeah, I noticed,” Link said in a dead panned voice as he eyed the gap behind the guillotine then put the Hover Soles on the bottom of his boots. He lined himself up then took off at a run, staying in place for a second then moving forward. He just cleared the guillotine, the sharp blade chopping off the very end of his hat. “Nayru, that was close!” Link said as he took his hat off to see the damage as soon as he was safely on the large stone ledge and had taken off the Hover Soles. The very end had been cut off by the blade. As loud thump and evil laugher behind him alerted Link that he was no longer alone as a Stalfos appeared.

“Look out!” Navi warned as she noticed the skeleton like monster as well. Link quickly drew his blade and shield, yelling loudly as he leapt in for an attack. Link and the Stalfos fought back and forth, neither gaining an upper hand as swords crashed against shields or blade stuck against blade sending up a shower of sparks. Navi yelled warnings whenever Link got to the close to the edge of the platform.

Link stumbled as he was pushed back by the Stalfos’s studded shield, wind milling his arms a bit and looking over his shoulder as his heel nearly went off over the edge. He gulped as he looked down into the black abyss then back at the Stalfos that was advancing on him quickly.

“Link move!” Navi yelled in a panicked voice. Link didn’t move, not until last second when the Stalfos jumped attacked him. The Stalfos’s curved blade glanced off Link’s shield as he pushed the attack to the side, twisting around his enemy then pushing the un-dead creature in the back over the edge of the platform. The Stalfos yelled loudly at it disappeared into the darkness. (1)

Link panted heavily, his heart beating in a frantic rhythm as he knelt down on the ground with one hand pressed to his chest.

“That’s was an incredible stupid thing to do!!!” Navi yelled as she flew up into Link’s face. “You could have been killed!”

“I saw a chance to defeat the Stalfos and I took it,” Link said as he put away the Master Sword and his shield, standing up. “It worked didn’t it?”

“Yes it did. But you could have just as easily fallen,” Navi said in a clam anger. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again; my little heart couldn’t take it!”

“I’ll try not to,” Link promised. Navi snorted at him and shook her head.

“So which way?” She asked instead. “I see a door on each side of the room.”

Link looked to the left side of the room where he could see a ledge platform between two wide gaps then to the right where a large platform was rising and falling on a set of chains and beyond that he could see a Beamos and a group of Bladetraps. Following his gut he went to the right and watched the platform move up and down. He glanced up at the ceiling to see where the chains came from but it was as pitch black above him as it was below so he couldn’t see.

The teen took a few steps back, timing his run to the movement of the platform and leapt off the ledge. He mistimed his jump slightly; hitting the platform that was further down that he thought it would be and tumbled head over foot across the platform to the far edge. He breathed sharply when he noticed he almost roll off the platform and shakily crawled to the center to calm down.

“Ohh, you need to watch what you’re doing!” Navi said as she landed on top of Link’s knee. “If you die then there is no hope for Hyrule.”

“I like to think someone else would take up the fight if I died,” Link said. “I think there is only so much they can take before they rebel against Zelda.”

“Maybe but you are the Hero of Time, you are the one who is tasked with awakening the sages,” Navi said. “And I don’t want to see you hurt or killed.”

“Believe me, I don’t want to be killed either,” Link said as he stood up, stumbling a bit as the platform dropped under him. The platform tended to drop fast and rise slowly, once it reached the bottom Link leap across the gap safely this time. He glared at the Beamos that was in the middle of the Bladetraps, he had a great dislike for the mechanical objects having been burnt one too many times by the strange beam of light that shot out of its eye and felt like fire against his skin.

Taking out a bomb and lighting the wick, Link tossed it at the head of the Beamos, the quickest way to destroy one. The ground shook at the body of the Beamos exploded, sending the giant eye on top where the beam fire came from flying into the air where it exploded as well.

“Hey what’s that?” Navi asked as she noticed something glinting in the low light of the cavern. “Link, it’s another one of those silver jewels!” Link carefully and quickly stepped past the Bladetrap that was spinning in a tight, quick circle around where the Beamos had been. He picked up the jewel then looked over to the door seeing it was just like the one in the other room with five indents where the jewels would fit.

“Look for the other ones Navi,” Link said as he jumped over the Bladetrap and started to hunt for the others. The Hylian youth and the Guardian fairy quickly located the rest of the jewels that were scattered throughout the area. The door opened quickly once the jewels were fitted in allowing Link to enter.

“How am I suppose to get past that!?” Link yelped as he saw the two traps within the room. The traps were a pair of black slabs of stone that had rows and rows of sharp pointed spikes on the bottom. They rose to the ceiling then dropped back down quickly, too fast for Link to safely run past and too tall for him to climb on if he could even get a grip on the edge at the rate the slabs moved.

“Here a sign over here,” Navi said from the side of the room where she had been flying around, searching for a way for Link to pass. She could just fly over the stone slabs but she was too small to anything as heavy as say a key or anything else. “ _’Use the stone umbrella to get past the rain of spikes’_ ,” she read out loud.

“What does that mean?” Link asked with a frown.

“I don’t know… I guess we need to find a stone umbrella,” Navi said. Link looked around; he saw nothing that would serve as an ‘umbrella’, at least nothing to the naked eye. But when using the Eye of Truth, Link found a large stone block hidden behind a wall that wasn’t really there. Seeing no other option, Link wrapped his hands around the handles on the side and pulled the heavy stone block backwards with a grunt. It moved inch by inch quickly, pulled out just enough so Link could move to the other side and push it under the deadly stone slabs. It took timing and luck, but he managed to fit the block under the slabs, bits of stone raining down on his head as the spikes slammed over and over into the block as he moved it, chipping away at the stone.

Once he had the block far enough in to be under both slabs, he quickly moved to the other side and pulled the block the rest of the way, until he hit the edge of the path and could go no further.

“Din, that thing is heavy,” Link groused as he rubbed his sore arms, attempting to get the feeling back in them. Watching the slabs then glancing at the block, Link got an idea and quickly climbed up top, now able to jump on top of the slabs as they came down. He had to cling to the chain holding the slabs up to keep his balance and not fall off.

“Careful Link,” Navi warned, watching as Link carefully walked across the slabs, stumbling once or twice at the jerking movement of the traps, to the top of the cells that had lined the passage way. There, on the wall, stood a switch that Link pulled down and a small treasure chest fell from the ceiling. The wooden chest broke as it hit the stone floor and lying among the remains was a key.

“At least this wasn’t a completely stupid thing to do,” Link said as he jumped onto the stone slabs again, nearly falling and sliding off if he hadn’t had grabbed the chain for balance. He was starting to get a little sick from the up and down motion of the slab and quickly jumped off, grabbing the key and leaving the room. He avoided the Blade Traps and walked carefully along the narrow path to the edge of a cliff where another guillotine waited. He could see a doorway the chasm but no way to get across. The hover boots would never last long enough for him to get across.

“Why the chain?” Navi asked, drawing her partner’s attention.

“Hmm?”

“There is a chain suspended across here but nothing else…” Navi said. “Oh! Maybe something is invisible! Use the Lens!” Link drew out the Lens of Truth and looked, the fairy was right, sliding back and forth along the chain was a large stone platform and before it stood another platform, just past the guillotine. It was still a bit of a gap between the edge of the cliff and the platform but Link though the hover boots would give him _just_ enough of a boost to make it across. He slid the soles onto the bottom of his boots as he watched the platform then ran across, the magic in the boots active for just long enough for him to make it to the other side.

“Whew, that was close,” Link said as he carefully walked across the platform, repeating the action to reach the moving platform next. The invisible platform was just close enough to the door for Link to jump cross without the boots. The door was locked but no trouble for Link as he used the key he found to unlock it.

The next chamber was smaller and thankfully without large holes in the floor. He wasn’t too happy to see the pair of Redead in the room and quickly played the Sun Song to freeze them both in place. On the floor he could see another one of the silver jewels that, after checking, would open the door with the bars. He sighed, he never understood the strange way people locked doors in these places. Heck, they didn’t have doors on their houses back in the Kokiri Village, just doorways that were sometimes covered with a curtain or a tanned hide. He walked toward the gem on the floor in front of him, hissing in pain as something poked him in the leg.

“What in the…” He jumped back in pain and surprise, pressing a hand against the sudden wound on his leg. He could see a drop of blood hanging in midair in front of him, as if it was clinging to something. “Invisible traps?” Link asked as he used the Lens to look and sure enough there was a set of sharp spikes sticking out of the floor in front of him with two more on either side of the room.

“Well this room was very tame looking compared to the others,” Navi said. Link sighed and shook his head, walking around the spikes and picking up the gem. Two of the others were sitting on ledges, both of which Navi flew up too and dragged the gems to the edge to drop into Link’s hand.

“So where are the other two… you don’t think they’re under the Redead do you?” He asked as he turned to the nearest one.

“Seeing as how I don’t see them anywhere else…” Navi said. Link groaned, he hated the Redead and hoped he didn’t have to fight the things. Yes they were currently frozen in place but it didn’t last once you hit one of the blasted things. Grumbling to himself Link walked over to the nearest one with the Master Sword drawn, leaping into an attack to quickly cut the thing down. As the Redead fell over ‘dead’, a small glittering gem sat innocently on the ground. Link just grumbled again as he picked it up and went to the other side of the room to give the other Redead the same treatment.

The next room was… strange. There were large steps on either side of the room, so large that Link had to pull himself up on each one and a skull with blue flames flickering inside. Other than a few Keese and another one of those strange golden shelled Wall Skulltulas, there was nothing in the room.

“I don’t think it’s a real skull,” Navi said as they looked down at the skull from the top of the room. “I think it’s a big vase like the giant vase that use to be in the Goron City.”

“So what do you suggest that I throw a bomb in and see if it starts spinning around?” Link asked with a raised eyebrow.

“You got a better idea?” Navi asked. No, he didn’t have a better idea and really it was just as sound as any other, he had done stranger things in the other temples after all. Picking up a nearby bomb flower, so not to waste one of his own bombs, he quickly tossed it into the large vase before the short fuse-like vine on top could reach the bomb-like fruit. The heat of the flames quickly set the bomb flower off with a large bang, Link quickly kneeling and covering his head to keep from being pleated by shards of the vase. When the ringing in his ears died away, Link crawled over to peer over the edge and saw a key lying among the debris.

“Weird place to put a key,” Link absently noted as he climbed down to the floor. When he touched the key he jerked his hand back with a small hiss of pain, the key was still hot after sitting Din knows how long within the fire. Digging into his pouch he withdrew the red hat that went with his Dodongo-skin tunic and let the fire resistant material buffer the heat.

Once back in the previous room Link frowned as he spied the locked door up on the platform in the middle of the room. There was no stairs or ladder to climb up, how was he supposed to get up there?

“Do you see any way up?” Link asked.

“Hmm…” Navi looked around as well. “No… but that really doesn’t mean much in this place does it?”

 _‘No it doesn’t,’_ Link agreed in his mind. Nothing here in the temple could be taken at face value with the amount of illusions and tricks within the temple. He supposed that was a clue in itself and withdrew the Lens of Truth from his magical pouch to look around, finding a patch on the ceiling that his Longshot could be used on. He let the chain pulled him up high enough to grab the edge of the platform, pulling himself up onto it with a grunt, and unlocked the door.

Behind the door was another corridor, Link was starting to wonder how far the temple went into the mountains and how the Gorons had never found it. At first he thought it was a simple hallway, keeping an eye out for all Skulltulas or Wall Masters in the area, until he turned the first corner. On the other end of the short passageway before it turned again was a large carving of what looked like some strange creature with a large open mouth, three large fan blades within the space of the mouth. In the corridor were two Bladetraps that were rocking back and forth so slowly Link wondered why anyone bothered to put the trap there.

He soon found out as he walked down the short stretch of hallway when the fan blades started to spin, sending a large gust of wind that blew Link off his feet, making the teen tumble backwards and slide down the hallway into the wall, just barely missing the Bladetrap in the process. Link grunted in pain as his black slammed into the wall, his sword and shield taking the blunt of the impact.

“EEEEEEYYYYYY!!!!!” Navi screamed at the same time as the strong wind from the fan rocketed her tiny body through the air, landing against the tall with a thud. The fairy was pinned to the stone by the gust until the fan slowed back down to a standstill, lingering for a second longer before her small form slowly peeled away from the wall and floated down to land in Link’s waiting hands.

“Are you ok?” Link asked worriedly. Navi’s blue light had died down, letting Link see the fairy clearly in her normal attire.

“Oooowwww,” Navi moaned as she sat up, rubbing her head. “Nayru that really hurt.” Her blue hair was mused up badly from being knocked around and even her wings looked a little tattered and worse for wear though she was still able to fly. Link heard the fan blades start moving again, holding Navi against his chest and ducking his head as he was battered by the strong wind again.

“How are we going to get past that?” Navi asked once the fan stopped again. “It doesn’t stop long enough to just slip by it.”

“I think I can walk against it if I had something heavy to keep be from being pushed back,” Link said. Navi thought about it for a moment then shot into the air as it hit her.

“The Iron Boots!” She yelled then ‘eeped’ as the fan started up again, just barely being caught by Link’s hands before she was slammed into the wall again. Link held Navi to his chest then quickly stood up and moved to go back around the corner of the corridor before the fan started to spin again.

“Here, just stay in here until we’re past this area,” Link said as he sat Navi in a pocket of his tunic then got the Iron Soles out, placing them on the bottom of his boots. He grunted as he walked forward wearing the heavy things, his leg muscles straining under the weight. But Navi’s idea worked, the extremely strong wind from the fan failed to push Link back as he walked leaning into the wind with one hand on his hat to keep it from blowing off.

As Link rounded the corner a Skulltula dropped down from the ceiling, the large spider creature blocking his path. Link quickly stepped to the side as the fan down this part of the corridor started up, the strong gust catching the Skulltula in its grip and blowing it down the short corridor as the silk-like thread holding it broke. It gave a horrible screeching sound as the first fan also caught it in its wind and threw it against the far wall.

Link laughed softly to himself that had been the easiest and funniest way he had ever seen a Skulltula defeated. Turning yet another corner in the corridor Link was confronted with a large gap in the floor and yet another fan.

“How many of these things are there?” Link asked. Navi poked her head out of the pocket to look.

“I hope not too many more, it’s stuffy in here,” she said. “And you have cookie crumbs in the bottom of this thing. When did you have cookies?”

“Umm…” Link blinked, thinking back to the Sheikah village when Sheik’s brother Kain snuck him a few cookies to snack on. “Never mind that, we need to keep moving!” He took out his Longshot and aimed it at a wooden beam across the gap. As he handed on the other side the powerful fan started to blow, nearly bowling the Hylain youth over. “Whoa!” Link stumbled as he tried to keep his balance against the strength of the wind and tumbled right over the edge the ledge to the floor below. “Ow….”

“Link… GET OFF ME!!!!!” Navi’s muffled voice yelled from under Link where she was trapped inside the pocket between Link and the stone floor. Link quickly climbed to his knees and reached into his pocket to take out Navi. “Ow… I don’t know how much more being flattened I can take.”

“Sorry,” Link said. He looked into the room ahead. The corridor led out onto a narrow path way with deep dark pit on either side. He could see at least three more fans on the walls, one on one side and two on the other. “This could be a lot more dangerous,” he said as he stood up and slowly walked down the path after putting Navi back into his pocket. He could see a door at the end of the path and assumed that was where he needed to head next.

“Watch out Link!” Navi said as the eye symbol on the wall above the door opened and shot a fire ball at the teen. Link yelped and used his shield to block the fire ball.

“I didn’t know they could do that,” He said as he peered around his shield.

“Tried to shoot it with an arrow, it may close the eye for good,” Navi suggested. Link nodded and moved so he wasn’t in the path of one of the fans then aimed his bow at the target, the arrow striking the middle of the eye as it open. A trail smoke drifted up from the eye symbol as the arrow broke it.

“Good shot!” Navi said as she flew out of Link’s pocket. “We should be able to get through the dooAAHHH!” In her excitement Navi had forgotten about the fans and was blown across the pit but instead of hitting the wall she blew straight though it. “OW!”

“Navi are you ok?” Link asked as he quickly switched out the Iron Boots for the Hover Boots and let the wind blow him over, the Hover Boots keeping him from falling. “Hey, there’s a door here.”

“Yeah…. I noticed,” Navi said with a groan. “I did not sign up for this,” she groaned as Link picked her up. Holding Navi in one hand Link opened the door with the other. On the other side of the room was filled with the bones of the fallen, reminding Link of the rooms where he had fought the Deadhands but there were no ghastly limbs sticking out of the ground ready to grab onto him. “What are those?” He asked seeing the two Gibdos.

“Those are Gibdo,” Navi said. “Sometimes there are ReDeads under the wrapping and sometimes it’s a Stalfos.” (2)

“Wonderful,” Link muttered as he took out his ocarina and played the Sun Song, happy when it worked on the two Gibdos, freezing them into place. “Now we just have to find a key…” Link turned to leave the room thinking he might find it in the other room he hadn’t entered but slipped on the loose bones on the floor. He groaned as he landed then quickly rolled out of the way of the Bladetrap coming at him. His ocarina flew out of his hand when he fell and landed in a pile of bones in the corner of the room. He groaned and stood up to walk over to the pile. “Yuck,” he said as he stuck his hand into the pile to find the Ocarina of Time then blinked when his knuckles rapped against something wooden. “Huh…”

“What is it?” Navi asked.

“I think there’s a chest in here,” Link said as he finally found the ocarina and safely pulled it out. He pulled at the other bones but they were packed in too tightly. “I can’t get to it.”

“Just blow it up,” Navi suggested. Link sighed and nodded, taking out a bomb and lighting the wick. The Hylain and fairy quickly ran to the other side of the room, using his shield to block the flying pieces of bones after the bomb blew up the pile. “I thought you said there was a crest in there,” the fairy asked as she peeked over Link’s shield.

“I swear there is,” Link said as he walked over and felt around the area, hoping he didn’t blow the chest up as well. He fingers brushed over something he couldn’t see and he felt along the front until he found a latch. “Told you there was a chest here,” he grinned as he popped the lid open, finding the inside of a wooden chest and a key lying at the bottom. He fished the key out and walked past the two frozen Gibdos to unlock the door.

The next room shocked Link, there appeared to be a river made out of mist and on the mist was a large boat with a robed figure holding a bell in each hand perched on the front of the boat and what looked like a large wheels on each side. (3)

“That thing looks like the statues with the scythes,” he said. “How it the boat floating? This doesn’t look like real water.” He knelt down to touch the mist.

“Don’t!” Navi flew in front of Link’s face, stopping him. “You don’t know what that is, you shouldn’t touch it. Let’s just get onto the boat and see where this ‘river’ leads.” Link nodded, pushing and pulling a large block from one side of the room to the other with little grunts so he could reach the ladder that only came half way down the wall. From there he leapt onto the boat that had a large Triforce emblem on it.

Link played Zelda’s Lullaby, the soft tune echoing loudly within the cavern. At first nothing happen and Link started to wonder if there was something else he needed to do to get the boat moving when a ringing sound filled the air as the bells on the front of the boat started to rock back and forth. The wheels on each side of the ship started to turn, making the vessel rock side to side as it started floating down the corridor the ‘river’ was in.

Link licked his lips nervously and his ears flattened a bit as he looked up at the ghastly statues above him that lined the corridor, each depicted a robed figure like the one on the front of the boat, each statue holding a lantern with a green flame inside. The whole thing sent a chill down his spine, making him shiver, it was like being on a river of death and he didn’t like it.

A thumping sound and evil laugh alerted Link and Navi that they were no longer alone and Link couldn’t help but be grateful for the distraction as he quickly drew the Master Sword to block the Stalfos’s attack. The Stalfos pressed its attack, trying to push Link back toward the edge of the boat to knock the Hylian youth off over the side.

“Link look out!” Navi warned whenever her partner was too close to the edge of the boat. Link would quickly twist or roll out of the way just in time. Link tried to slip past the Stalfos’s defenses to land his own attack but the monster seemed to counter every move he made. Navi made a sound of alarm as she looked up and noticed the boat was heading for a wall, to the left side of the boat was a platform that Link could get off at. “Link! The boat is crashing, jump off!”

Link looked up and saw the wall then quickly ran for the edge of the boat. He slipped and stumbled slightly as the boat hit the wall, causing the whole boat to shake. The Stalfos did fall over, giving Link enough time to regain his footing and jump off to safety before the boat fell under the mist into darkness, taking the Stalfos with it. Link sighed in relief and leaned forward his hands on his knees.

“That was close,” he said.

“Link look!” Navi said loudly, her voice echoing around the cavern. “There’s the door to the boss!” Link squinted into the darkness and saw a large door across a trench. It was too wide for him to walk across with the Hover Boots and even after using his Lens of Truth he did not see anything that would help him across. But he did see a bunch of broken columns lying around and one column that was still fully intact across the way. At the base of the column grew a bunch of Bomb Flowers giving Link as idea as he quickly notched an arrow in the Fairy bow and let it fly. The arrow struck the Bomb Flower in the middle of the group, the jolt setting off the sensitive plant in an impressive explosion and quickly setting off a chain reaction with the others as one by one they blew up as well. The explosions destroyed the bottom of the column causing it to fall forward.

It landed with a crash, the force of the landing destroying the bird-like statue on top and reducing it to rubble.

“We’re lucky that thing didn’t fall the other way,” Navi said once the tremors settled down. “Or that it didn’t break in the middle and fall into the hole when it hit the ground.”

“Yeah we are and now we have a bridge to get over to the other side,” Link said as he slung the bow over his shoulders and climbed up onto the make-shift bridge. Under Navi’s natural fairy light, he was able to get a better look at the door. He was unsurprised to see it was locked up tight, with the lock in the shape of the Sheikah symbol. “So now we need to find the key to this lock.”

“Let’s go then, I saw a door there off to the side,” Navi said leading the way back over the bridge.

 

*******

 

The next chamber behind the door appeared to be a large square room with many little columns holding up the ceiling with touches along the wall to light up the room. Ahead of Link was a Floor Master that was walking back and forth on its ghoulish fingers. The Floor Master seemed to notice Link, levitating off the floor and flying at him with its fingers outstretched ready to grab him and drag him Din only knows where. Link yelled and brought his shield around to knock the Floor Master back then looked in surprise as the Floor Master suddenly stopped and dropped to the floor.

It pushed itself to its fingers, rocking side to side as if it was stunned.

“What just happen?” Link asked.

“It stopped,” Navi said. “It almost looked like it ran into a wall or something.” Link blinked then quickly took out the Lens of Truth. A stone wall appeared in front of Link blocking his view of the Floor Master on the other side.

“There is a wall,” Link said. He laughed as he heard the Floor Master hit the invisible wall again as it tried to get to him. He took a second to watch the Floor Master slam into the wall again and again, the creepy hand-like monster wasn’t very smart, before moving on, glancing through the Lens to see where the walls were every now and then and keeping a look out for the Floor Masters walking around.

He came to a door on the first corner of the room and opened it, instantly finding himself between two trap walls with spikes on them closing in on him. He would have been worried about the trap he found himself in if it wasn’t for the fact the walls were really slow moving, giving him time to really look at them. They were made out of rotten wood, holes along the planks and some of the spikes were broken.

“This… is kinda sad compared to the other traps in this temple,” Navi said.

“It’s made out of wood, I bet it burns pretty quick,” Link said with a grin. “Din’s Fire!” He went through the motions of the spell, a dome of fire spreading out from around him and catching the wooden trap walls a flame. Instantly the old rotted wood was turned to cinders, leaving nothing behind by ash. But that wasn’t the only thing caught on fire. Link yelped and quickly stepped back out the door, shutting it enough so nothing could escape the room but open enough so he would watch through the crack of the door as two vaguely human-shaped creatures ran around in circles, their entire bodies on fire.

“What are those!?” Link asked as the two things ran into each other and both knocked to the ground.

“More Gibdos,” Navi said. “Their bandages must have caught on fire when you used the spell.”

Link opened the door again when he saw the two Gibdos were nothing but piles of ashes now and looked around. In the corner of the room sat a large chest with an old lock on the front. The lock was rusty looking and gave away quickly as Link slammed his foot into it.

“It must have been a long time since anyone has tried to use that lock,” Navi said as Link removed the broken lock and open the chest. He frowned as he looked inside, there were several keys that all looked the same inside, with the Sheikah eye on the top.

“Which key is which?” He asked.

“Umm…” Navi hovered over the chest looking at the keys but had no idea which one might be the real key to the boss door. She didn’t think taking all of them and trying the keys one by one was a good idea, it would take too long. “Try looking for it with the Lens?” she suggested. Link looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. “Hey, you got a better idea? Everything else in here needed the Lens of Truth, maybe it can tell you which one is the true key!”

“I guess it’s worth a shot,” Link said, silently admitting the fairy had a point. He took out the Lens and looked through it at the keys; at first nothing stood out. In fact all the keys looked grey and dull under the power of the Lens. But as Link shifted around the keys with his free hand, something glowing caught his attention from the corner of the chest. He dug out the glowing key and held it up to look at it, it looked just like the others when he looked at it normally, it was impossible to tell one from the other, but it glowed when he looked at it with the Lens of Truth. “I think… this is the right key,” he said as he stood up.

“Real tricky of the Sheikah huh,” Navi said as they left the room and carefully navigated the room with the invisible walls back the way they came. “With so many keys, someone could be here for hours trying to find the right one. Good thing we have the Lens of Truth.” Link nodded in agreement, exiting the chamber as a Floor Master hit one of the invisible walls again trying to get to him which made his lips quirk up in a smile.

Back in the previous chamber Link approached the large door that would lead to the inner chamber where the creature that had escaped the well should be. He inserted the key into the key hole in the middle of the Sheikah eye, the lock twisting and the chains falling away so Link could open the door. The young hero took a deep breath and pulled the door open, ready to face his new challenge.

 

****************

 

The room was dark as Link entered, making Link wonder if he was going to have to depend on Navi’s natural fairy light to see. But as soon as the door slammed shut behind him, torches on the wall started to light up one by one with a purple flame, casting the room in an eerie light. He looked around, the room was circular with stone columns in-between each torch on the wall. Otherwise it was very unremarkable looking, compared to the other temples so far anyway.

In the middle of the room, driven deep into the dark stone, stood the sword that Link saw seven years, or to him only a day or two before, in that room in the bottom of the well. The ropes and ofuda that had bound it before were long gone and without the ofuda to keep it back, Link could feel the evil power pouring from the sword where he stood by the door.

Slowly Link started to walk toward the dark sword, drawing the Master Sword from the scabbard across his back. The silver blade glowed and pulse with an inner light reacting to the evil power within the other blade. When the young hero was only a few feet away from the Death Sword, a feeling of dread and darkness filled the room, it was the same presence that had escaped from the well and had attacked Link and Sheik in the village. As the presence drew closer to the large blade in the floor, blood red glyphs started to glow on the sword, pulsing brighter and brighter as whatever the presence was approached.

Suddenly the glyphs glowed a bright steady red and the sword started to shake as if something was tugging it from the floor. Inch by inch the sword rose out of the floor until it flew up, sending bits of stone flying as if it was jerked out. The sword waved in the air then came crashing down where Link had been standing, the Hylian dodging to the side out of the way.

Link quickly removed the Lens of Truth from his pouch as the Death Sword raised back up into the air, peering through it to see what was holding the sword. The Sheikah magic in the lens showed Link what a hidden to the naked eye, instantly giving him a view of what appeared to be a very large skeleton figure wearing a tatter robe, a pair of great curled horns coming out of a skull that could only belong to a demon.

The demon holding the sword did not appear to notice that Link could now see it, attempting to cleave Link in two again as the Death Sword swung in a great arc. Link cursed softly to Din, the creature’s swings were too wide for him to get in close. Instead he quickly whipped out the Fairy Bow and let an arrow fly into the chest of the demon where a heart would have been if it had been alive.

“I see it!” Navi said as the demon creature slumped to the ground. Link did as well and quickly darted in, hacking at the creature with the Master Sword until he was knocked back several feet as the creature regained its bearings. It roared loudly as the shadows seem to gather around it, disappearing from sight once again. The Lens was quickly taken back out and Link tracked the demon’s movements, it was floating through the air weaving back and forth before letting out a shriek and dive-bombing Link, the Death Sword raised above its head. Link dove to the side, rolling out of the way then getting up on his feet again, letting another arrow fly from his bow.

This time it took a couple of arrows for the demon to be stunned before Link could move in and attack again. The battle soon set into a pattern, the demon would turn invisible, the Death Sword the only thing able to be seen and tried to swoop down on Link and cut him in two. Link in turn would use the Lens of truth to track the demon’s movements then stun it with the Fairy Bow and arrows until the demon was visible again and hit the ground.

“HEY!” Link spun a final time on his heel, the Master Sword glowing brightly with power. The blade seemed to sing as it cut through the air then landed deep inside the demon’s chest. The demon seem to be frozen for a moment, as if it was disbelieving that this mortal had defeated it when not even the Sheikah had been able to. Then it started to flail about, jerking side to side arm waving wildly. The hilt of the Master Sword was ripped from Link’s hand, the sword still stuck deep inside the demon, and the teen quickly backed up to avoid being hit by the Death Sword. The demon was giving a loud awful shriek as was slowly destroyed from the inside by the power of the Master Sword.

The Death Sword flew out of the demon’s grip and hit the far wall, seeming to shatter into millions of pieces. The demon’s death cries tapered off, the robed figure’s body bending backwards, arms hanging lifelessly and fanged mouth hanging open, the Master Sword sticking out of its chest like a shining beacon. Link watched as the red glow inside the demon’s hallow eye sockets slowly faded away leaving nothing by a black void. There was an eerie silence for a moment then the demon’s body exploded in a flash of light, Link holding up his hands to shield his eyes while Navi hid behind him. The Master Sword clanged loudly as it fell to the floor.

“Wooo! You did it!” Navi cheered. Link grinned and walked over to his sword, picking it up and placing it back in the gold and blue scabbard on his back. He felt good destroying the creature that had attack Kakariko Village and had hurt Sheik. A ring of light appeared in the middle of the room as it had in the previous temples, Link stepping in it and was surrounded by a crystal as he and his fairy partner was whisked away to the Chamber of Sages to meet Impa, the Sage of Shadows.

 

***********

 

Author Note: Yeah… did not mean for this to take a whole half a year to write. I was going to leave it in a cliff hanger at first then thought that after so long of not having an update I would go ahead and finish through to the Boss battle. Again, I greatly dislike Bongo Bongo because I thought it was a disappointing boss so I hope everyone liked Death Sword (from TP) a lot better.

(1) I love defeating this Stalfos this way, I'll make Link hang out around the edge then move when the Stalfos jumps at him or make the Stalfos back up and fall over the edge.

 

(2) Gibdos have been a part of the Zelda series for a long time, in some games when you burn away the bandages, it's a Stalfos under there. And in some games they just burn to ashes. Except ToOT, they are just a Redead under there.

 

(3) I really like the new boat design they used in TOOT 3D.


	18. Chapter 18

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

Author Note: Ugh I know, over a year and a half of no updates. I really don’t have a good excuse, I had a bit of writer’s block and I’ve honesty haven’t had a big desire to have anything to do with fanfics in general for a big while. But I’m still writing and updating when I can it’ll just be slow going. We’re in the home stretch of this story, I’m not about to abandon it any time soon.

With Breath of the Wild coming out, I can already see small handful of things I could add to this version of Hyrule just from the trailers but we’ll see if anything is added once the game comes out and I’ve had a chance to play it. Hyrule Warriors will also have a huge inspiration with some stuff, that is now my favorite version of Ganondorf and how I imagine him during the adult half of the game.

On another note, I have recently joined the ranks of twitter and set up an account for my fanfics where I’ll share updates, fic recs and all other things. You can find me under usa_tiger1983

Chapter was betaed by my main minion Asilyessam.

 

Chapter 18

 

The damage to Kakariko Village was nowhere near as bad as Sheik had first feared. Other than some surface damage from the fires and a couple of roofs that needed to be repaired, all of the buildings were intact. The rain that had started after the attack by the shadow being in the well on himself and Link had helped keep the fires under control until the villagers could put them out. Amazingly no one was seriously hurt either except for maybe a minor burn or two. In the end the attack had been a scare tactic by Zelda and her witches as well as a distraction so the ice witch Kotake could free the shadow being from the seals his mother had put up years ago.

As he sat there on the roof of his old house and listened to the people of the village, it seemed Zelda’s attempt to scare and cow the people back to blindly following her had backfired. They were _angry_ that Zelda had once again attacked their homes. They already lost their homes and most even families when Zelda’s possessed army of knights and monsters had attacked and destroyed Hyrule Castle Town, forcing many to flee to the nearby Kakariko Village at the base of Death Mountain. There they had rebuilt their lives and had been for the most part left alone by Zelda as she spread her rule over the rest of Hyrule.

But everyone in the village had heard of Link’s heroic efforts to defeat Zelda, of the young hero pushing back the darkness that had choked the land for so long. How the forests to the east were now green and safe, or as safe as the forests got, again. They all seen the darkness leave the volcano they lived in the shadow of and, given time, soon they would know that Lake Hylia was once again filled with clear cool water. And if Link was successful, soon this village would be cleaned of the darkness as well. Sheik had every reason to believe Link would succeed.

That didn’t mean Sheik wasn’t worried, he knew just what the temple was like being the next in line as the Sage of Shadow should his mother Impa die. And that wasn’t even counting whatever Zelda’s dark magics had done to his people’s temple. He was so worried in fact that instead of going back to his village in the forest and seeing a healer about his ribs, Sheik was waiting for Link. A stupid thing to do of course but he was too worried to even think about leaving. So instead he had drank a healing potion, which took care of the worst of the damage but left his ribs bruised and aching.

Sheik could feel the moment that Link defeated the Death Sword and cleansed the Shadow Temple. The sky above the village began to clear and the air suddenly felt a lot lighter. A pulse of power was felt by everyone as rush of purple light rolled over the village coming from the direction of the graveyard. As everyone came out of their homes wondering what the magic they felt had been, commenting on how much lighter they felt, Sheik grinned and teleported to the grave yard to wait on Link.

 

**************

 

Inside the Chamber of Sages, Link turned to face the symbol of the Sage of Shadows as a purple light shown brightly and Impa arose among the glow her arms crossed over her chest.

“The boy with the Royal Family’s Ocarina… as I expected, you have come,” Impa said as she gently tapped her right hand against her arm. “I am Impa, one of the Sheikah. I was once one of the guards of the king of Hyrule and I am the protector of his majesty Prince Llyr, and I am so the Sage who guards the Shadow Temple.”

“Hello Impa,” Link said with a smile. “Sheik was worried to death over you.”

“Then my sons will be pleased to know I have survived,” Impa said. “You have grown into fine young man Link, you carry within you the Spirit of the First Hero of her grace Hylia. You have done well in awakening my fellow Sages and defeating the darkness Zelda has spread over the land. Take this, a portion of my power.” Impa held out her hand a purple light filling it. When the light died down, a purple medallion with the symbol of the Shadow Sage floated above her hand. As Link wrapped his hand around the medallion to take it, Impa placed her other hand on top of his stop him. “Please, continue to look out for my sons and his majesty in my stead. Tell Sheik and Kain I am proud of them and to look after each other.”

“I will Impa,” Link promised. Impa nodded and let go of Link’s hand, allowing him to take the medallion at last. She watched as he stepped into the glowing circle of light in the middle of the chamber and was teleported away. Her lips quirked just slightly, thinking the boy was something else. He had defeated an evil that not even she had been able to destroy, only seal away. She had very high hopes that he would completely free them from the Queen of Evil.

 

*********

 

As soon as Link’s feet touched the ground, he was tackled by Sheik sending them both sprawling in the dirt.

“Thank you, thank you Link,” Sheik said his voice muffled where it was pressed against Link’s shoulder. Link grinned and hugged the other youth back.

“You’re welcome Sheik,” he said.

“He would have had to go to the temple anyway,” Navi pointed out. Link scowled at Navi for her words while Sheik finally lifted his head.

“I don’t care about that, I’m just glad my mother is alive and that you are alright,” Sheik said. He gave into temptation and pressed a quick kiss to Link’s mouth before pulling away. Link blinked as he sat up and pressed his fingers to his lips, he had never been kissed before and he wondered at the fluttering feeling in his chest. Sheik blushed softly. “Sorry I-“

“No, it’s ok… I never had a kiss before other than Saria kissing my cheek,” Link said. Sheik smiled softly and couldn’t help the small flutter of hope in his heart. Link stood and reached down to help Sheik stand up. As the Sheikah teen was pulled to his feet, Sheik hissed in pain and pressed a hand to his ribs. “Sheik, are you ok?”

“Yeah, my ribs just hurt,” Sheik said.

“You were supposed to go to your village’s healer,” Link scolded softly.

“I know, but I couldn’t leave. Not without helping the village and not until I was sure you and Mother were alright,” Sheik said.

“How is the village?” Link asked.

“The damage from the fires was not as bad as it first seemed,” Sheik said. “No one was badly hurt in the village either.”

“Thank Farore,” Link said with a smile then shook his head. “I’ve got to tell you Sheik, the Shadow Temple was very… creepy.”

“Sorry about that, but we don’t call it the ‘House of the Dead’ for no reason,” Sheik said as he leaned back against the fence on the edge of the small cliff.

“Why is it like that? It’s nothing like the other temples,” Navi asked. Sheik sighed and rubbed his face.

“The Sheikah have a long and bloody past my friends,” Sheik said. “I will explain at the village, my ribs are starting to really ache now.”

“Alright,” Link agreed. Sheik held open his arms for his friend then tossed a deku nut to the ground once Link and Navi where pressed against him, teleporting them to the hidden Sheikah village.

 

******************

 

A scream of rage tore through the dark tower. In her throne room Zelda sat upon her throne, her hand clutched into a fist while the other gripped the arm of the chair. She had a sneer on her face and was leaning forward, glaring down at the knight that had just brought her the news about the Shadow Temple. The knight felt a trickle of sweat race down his face under the helmet he wore.

“Get. Out,” Zelda said in a low dangerous voice. The knight didn’t need to be told twice and ran out of the room like his ass was on fire. As soon as the doors closed Zelda stood, grabbing a goblet from the table next to her throne and flinging it against the wall. Another temple, lost! She stalked over to the window that looked out over Hyrule, her hands braced against the windowsill as she gazed out.

“Damn that boy,” She said. “Damn the Sheikah.”

How? How had the boy defeated the creature from the well? Not even the Sheikah, the loyal dogs of the Goddess Hylia and her descendants, had been able destroy the creature, only seal it away. That was why she had the witches go break the seal, she was sure it would have killed that annoying little flea Link. But no, somehow the boy had come out on top and placed the Shadow Sage in her rightful place.

Zelda growled to herself as she turned away from the window and started to pace her throne room. She couldn’t believe how wrong everything was going! One by one the Temples had slipped from her grasp, all of her curses broken. She had received reports that Zora’s domain was half way unfrozen and that Lake Hylia was once again filled with water. Her puppet Dark Link was lost to her as well, the boy had broken the mind control spell she had used on his dark twin and had delivered Dark Link to Ganondorf. The annoying king of the Gerudo was as powerful as she in the ways of magic and no doubt by now he had assured her puppet could no longer be controlled by her.

She had one temple left under her control, just one! The Temple was under the control of her mother figures Kotake and Koume, it had been for years. Not even the Gerudo had been able to take the temple back from the witches in the long past.

Then there were the rumors that her bastard of a cousin Llyr, the younger prince of Calatia and the boy her father had made his heir, was within Hyrule as well. No doubt protected and hidden away by the Sheikah. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists.

This was unacceptable! She was the king’s daughter and the rightful ruler of Hyrule! Still after so many years it angered her he would skip over her and given the kingdom to Llyr when she was his child and therefore she should have been his heir! But oh she fixed that, with the help of Kotake and Koume, and took her birthright by force. But now it was falling apart!

On her left hand the Triforce of Wisdom pulsed catching Zelda’s attention. She held up her hand and looked at the glowing symbol on the back of her hand then took a deep breath and forced herself to calm while grasping her left hand with the right.

“I need to be calm… I am wise, that is why the Triforce of Wisdom chose me. It knew I twas the rightful ruler…” Zelda said softly as she closed her eyes and found her center again. Once she felt herself settle again and turned to the window again. She had to do something about the boy Link before he took the Spirit Temple from her. More pressing…. She needed to do something about the Sheikah and the Gerudo… And her cousin Llyr.

A glint of light caught Zelda’s attention from the direction of her throne. She turned and looked at it, looking above it. The light from the sunset on the horizon glinted off a large trident that was hanging over her throne, glinting off diamond shaped red jewel set in it.

It was called the Trident of Power, not long after Hyrule had been completely under her rule Kotake and Koume had suggested that she take it. It was, they said, a weapon as powerful as the Master Sword. It’s dark equal as it were. The only other weapon that could compare was the fabled Four Sword.

It had once been a sword, one that belonged to the Demon King Demise, a great and powerful being that had nearly taken the Triforce for his own and had nearly destroyed the world. That was until the Goddess Hylia had sealed him away until the Hero of the Sky had used the Triforce to destroy him. Or the Hero fought Demise to the death using the Master Sword; the witches were never really clear on that. One said one thing and the other witch said another.

Which ever had happen, Demise’s dark blade had been left behind and found by a race called the Zuna. The Zuna lived deep in the desert, deeper still than the Gerudo ventured, in a place called the Desert of Doubt. There the Zuna had built a large pyramid and that was where the sword had been taken. They had re-forged the blade into the Trident of Power and had kept it there ever since. Well until Zelda came that is, no matter how wise and mighty they might have been in the past, the simple Zuna were unable to stand up to Zelda and her forces. She had taken the Trident as her own and now it hung in her throne room.

There was one other thing that made the Trident special, what had made it special when it had been a sword of dark power. Within the Trident laid a spirit, at least according to the witches. The spirit, demon, or whatever the being was laid dormant inside… but now Zelda planed on calling on that spirit. Her puppet Dark Link had not worked out as she hoped, she could see now she made the puppet to human, to alive to be any use.

But the spirit within the Trident, it would listen to her and do her bidding. She wasn’t called the Demon Queen for nothing after all. With a manic glint in her eyes Zelda held out her hand and called the Trident of Power to her hand. She pushed her magic into the Trident, shivering and smiling as the dark power with washed over her and touched the mind of the spirit within. Grabbing onto that mind, she pulled him out of the weapon.

The gem on the front of the Trident glowed, the light spreading to the entire trident until the whole weapon was covered. The light drew itself up into a ball and hovered a moment over Zelda’s hand then flew away, landing on the floor in front of the dark queen.

A flash of light had Zelda holding up her hand to keep from being blinded. When she was able to look again, a figure was kneeling in front of her, his or her head bowed low.

 “I am at your service my Master,” the figure, the man she noticed, said his voice had a slight nasally sound to it and she could hear just a hint of insanity within that voice.

“Stand,” Zelda commanded. “Let me look at you.” The man stood up and let Zelda look to her content.

The man had short stark white hair that was long in the front and fell over the left side of his face. The ear on the right was pointed, not unlike a Hylain or a Sheikah, but the left ear she noticed when he shifted his head just slightly was rounded more like a Human or Gerudo. He was tall, just a little taller than her, with a hard lean body. He was dressed in a solid white pants and shirt, diamond shapes cut out in the legs and the sleeveless top had half a diamond shape cut out on the top and bottom of the shirt. His gloves were white as well, with more diamond shaped holes in the fabric. (1)

He wore a red half cloak that was made to look tattered in the back and a high collar that rose above his head. Throughout the red fabric were golden diamonds in a row and a chain decorating the front. The man wore a golden arm band on the upper part of his right arm and a large blue crystal shaped earring in his pointed ear. Around his waist was a golden sash with large red crystal, one that looked like the one that had been on the Trident of Power, on his right hip.

When Zelda looked in his eyes, they were solid black and had a look of deep insanity in them. The underside of his eyes were painted purple and his skin, what she could see of it, was a grey color almost like stone.

“What are you called?” Zelda asked. The witches had never told her the name of the being inside the Trident.

“I am the Demon Lord Ghirahim my Master,” the man said with a low bow and chuckle. “And I am your loyal servant.” Zelda gave a smirk in satisfaction; yes she was quite pleased with this creature. She once again took her seat upon her throne and looked down at Ghirahim once more.

While Zelda had studied Ghirahim, he had in turned studied Zelda. He found he was pleased with what he saw, she was not his former Master Demise but Zelda had the same… feeling of power… that his old Master had at one time. Or at least she would as she continued to grow into her power. She was not Demise reborn, not in the true sense, but she had the same hate, the same darkness that he had.

Ghirahim wondered how long it had been since that final battle with the Sky Child, just thinking about the boy made him seethe in cold rage. Years he knew, decades he was sure, perhaps even hundreds of years had passed since that day. It was hard to tell when in his weapon form, he only had a very vague sense of the world around him. He had remembered the reshaping of his sword form to the trident form, which had thankfully not altered body which was already perfection!

“I have a task for you, three in fact, that I am sure you will enjoy,” Zelda said to Ghirahim.

“And what does my Master wish of me?” Ghirahim said with a low sweeping bow.

“My rule of Hyrule is being challenged by the Hero of Time, I would like you to stomp the annoying bug in his tracks before he takes my last hold on this land,” Zelda instructed. “You will know him by the green tunic he wears and the fairy that follows him. He also wields the Master Sword.”

“The Sky Child?” Ghirahim asked his black eyes flashing, he thought of the annoying Sky Child who had worn a green tunic and hat.

“No, the Hero of the Sky was some time ago, this boy comes from the forest realm,” Zelda said with a shake of her head. “I also demand you find and destroy the Sheikah.”

“That I will do with relish my Master,” Ghirahim said with a manic grin. “I will enjoy ripping the dogs of the Goddess apart!”

“Last you will bring my cousin, Prince Llyr, to me. I have one piece of the Triforce,” Zelda said holding up her hand where the Triforce of Wisdom shone brightly. “It is possible he had one of the others. And if not… I will take care of my father’s so-called heir myself.”

“As you wish Master,” Ghirahim said, drawing a saber from nowhere and cutting the air in front of him. Ghirahim disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a scattering of diamond shapes that faded away. Zelda smirked and leaned back in her throne, a satisfied look on her face.

“Only a matter of time before I retake my kingdom,” She said into the dark room then looked down at her hand with the Triforce in it. “Then, once I have the Triforce of Power and Courage, the world!” Her dark laughter rang out through the tower halls and into the night.

 

*****************

 

“The temple wasn’t always like that,” Sheik said as he leaned back in the chair. He and Link were sitting in Sheik’s home that he shared, or had shared, with his mother and younger brother. Kain had been told that their mother had gone to perform her duties as the new Sage of Shadow and that she was safe. The younger Sheikah had been upset but understood the duty that their people had and accepted the change. It didn’t stop the younger teen from being upset and leaving to have time to himself.

As soon as Sheik and Link had returned to the hidden forest village, Sheik had gone to the village’s healer. The healer had been upset that Sheik had gone so long without healing after the attack from Death Sword and threatened to leave the bard like that to heal on his own before sighing and healing Sheik’s ribs. They were still just the _tiniest_ bit sore, Sheik was sure that was to teach him a lesson.

“How did it get like that then?” Link asked. He knew that not all the Temples looked like they originally had, the Forest Temple currently looked like an very old manor house or small castle, built to look like that by a researcher and historian who had been interested in the Sages. He had moved there with his wife and four daughters, each of which had died in a short time and the father driven insane, if the diaries Link had found was to be believed.

“You must understand Link; the history of the Sheikah isn’t all nice. We are in a way the shadow of the Hylian people, we deal in the darkness so others will not have to,” Sheik said. “Remember the story Llyr and I told you, back at the Temple of Hylian?”

“About the great evil and a hero from the sky wielding the Master Sword?” Link asked. Sheik nodded and leaned forward, propping his arms up on the table.

“Before that time, when Hylia was still a goddess, and the evil one hadn’t been sealed away yet by her, he had an army. We Sheikah have always been her loyal servants, and protected this land which came to be known as Hyrule in her stead after she gave up her goddess form,” Sheik explained. “Sometimes… my people have done things that would make other’s turn away in horror.”

“You’ve killed people,” Navi said.

“Yes, in the past,” Sheik said with a sigh. “It was war, and then we guard the dead so they can tell no tales. Every time an enemy of Hylian’s descendants, the Royal Family, or of Hyrule itself, attempts to move against them, it is our people that do what others can not to keep the land safe. Like I said, my people’s history is bloody and isn’t always nice and we know this.”

“That’s… a little disturbing to think about,” Link mused. “I never would have thought that by just watching everyone here.”

“In times of peace the more… darker… parts of our race does not show as much,” Sheik said. “The Shadow Temple is where everyone was taken, and they say the dead still talk, so we seal the lingering ghosts inside. Not pretty, or nice, but there you go. In time the actions made the Shadow Temple the House of the Dead.”

“Hmmm…” Link mused over this then sighed. “I guess every race has its dark side.”

“Well, maybe not every race,” Sheik said with a small smile. “The Kokiri and the Kikwi both seem pretty nice.”

“Some Kokiri can be pretty mean spirited,” Link said with a small shake of his head. Mido was a prime example of that but then again maybe the red head had finally ‘grown up’, in mind and spirit anyway. “Maybe not the same thing but that’s a close to ‘dark’ as they get. But I’ll agree with the Kikwi, they are the nicest if more timid race within the forest.”

“So what is our next plan of action?” Navi asked changing the subject. “We have one last sage to awaken.”

“This next temple, I’m going to guess it’s in the desert?” Link asked. “It’s the only place I haven’t been.”

“Yes… thought I honestly am not sure just where the Spirit Temple is,” Sheik said. “The desert is very… large. There are a lot of ruins and such within the area. A lot of old history there. I do know that the old Temple of Time is there.”

“The Temple of Time? Wait, isn’t that in Hyrule Castle Town?” Link asked surprised.

“It’s not the original building,” Sheik said with a shake of his head. “The Temple of Time was located in the desert, the ruins are still there in fact. I’ve never been to them but others have said they still stand. The building you know as the Temple of Time now was built by Rauru and the Sages of the past and it is just a building, one built to house the entryway to the Sacred Realm. They say the real temple exists outside of our realm, or maybe outside of time itself, much like the Temple of Light. And the ruins in the desert are just like the current temple, nothing but an outside covering.” (2)

“Wait, Rauru built the Temple of Time?” Link asked surprise. “But… the temple is really old isn’t it? Even if it’s not the original?”

“It was built after Hyrule was established as a nation and the royal family started its rule,” Sheik confirmed. “I think he is only exists in his mortal form within the Temple of Light in the Sacred Realm. If he must travel to ours, I believe he takes the form of a giant owl named Kaepora Geabora.”

“Rauru is that annoying owl!?” Link sputtered.

“You’ve met him?” Sheik asked.

“Din yes,” Link said with an annoyed sigh and roll of his eyes.

“We’ve had a few run-ins with Keapora while Link was a child, almost as if he was watching Link’s progress,” Navi explained. “Knowing that he is really Rauru I guess that makes sense but I never guessed they were the same being. Rauru seemed so different from his owl form.”

“Ugh, I don’t think I’ll be able to look at Rauru the same way again,” Link said with a groan as he pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. Sheik watched his friend in amusement. “I really don’t want to think about that. How do we find the Spirit Temple?”

“Couldn’t you just teach Link the song to get there?” Navi asked. Sheik sighed and shook his head.

“Part of the test of being the Hero is locating the Temples, or at the very least having an idea where it is. Link was able to tell me the Water Temple was in Lake Hylia so I was allowed to teach him the Serenade of Water. Lake Hylia, while a pretty large lake, isn’t anywhere near the size of the desert. Unless Link is able to tell me just _where_ the Spirit Temple is, I am bound by magic not to teach him,” Sheik said. “That is the limits that were put on me when I trained go be Link’s guide. The only reason why I was able to tell Link where the Shadow Temple was is because I am the next person in line to be the Shadow Sage, the magic of my sage blood was able to let me tell Link.”

“So… the next Sage of Spirit could tell me where the temple is?” Link guessed.

“It’s possible, but no one knows who the sage is,” Sheik said. “But… the Gerudo may know. In fact I’m sure they do know, Ganondorf rules over the desert so the Gerudo would know better than anyone where the temple would be.”

“… Do you think Ganondorf is the Sage of Spirit?” Link wondered tapping his fingers against his chin. “I mean, most of the other Sages were leaders of their people. Saria isn’t the leader of the Kokiri but she is a beloved member. Darunia is the leader of the Gorons, Ruto the Zora princess and your mom is sorta the leader of the Sheikah isn’t she?”

“Huh… never thought of that… maybe?” Sheik said. “Everyone was drawn to their temples, so we should see if Ganondorf is feeling drawn to his.”

“To the Gerudo Fortress then!” Navi said. “Sheik can just teleport us there.”

“No, they don’t like the Sheikah teleporting into their fortress remember?” Sheik said dryly. “We’ll have to go the long way, by foot or horse back.”

“Just teleport us back to Epona, we can ride her back to the desert,” Link said grinning, he loved riding on his horse. “You can ride with us.” Sheik nearly declined the offer, he did have a horse of his own after all, but stopped before the words left his lips. He realized that if he rode with Link, he would have to hold on to the other boy as they rode… One selfish little part of the Sheikah perked up at the idea and Sheik found himself saying instead,

“Alright, sounds like a plan. Let’s head out in the morning, I’m sure you’re tired from braving the Shadow Temple right after the Water Temple and my ribs need a little more time to heal.” The brilliant smile Link gave Sheik made his heart thud a little harder.

 

******************

 

Ghirahim found himself in a world that was quite changed from what he remembered. Before he had returned to sword form for his master’s use, the land had been wild and untamed with scattered remains of the civilization that had once existed. Twisted broken remains that had fallen under his old master’s might that look the land hundreds and hundreds of years to recover from while his master had been sealed away by that dratted goddess and her reborn human form.

Now that land was filled with settlements once again, cities and towns filled with Hylia’s people, the Hylains, and the round ear Humans. The land had been named ‘Hyrule’. Ghirahim needed to know more of this time, of its people and how he might locate his targets. It only took a little digging around to find out about Zelda’s loyal witches and mother figures the witches Kotake and Koume who resided in a temple deep in the desert in what was once called Lanayru Desert, now Gerudo Desert.

Ghirahim appeared in a fabulous flash of diamond and sparkles, shaking his stunning white hair out with a flip over his shoulder then strode into the temple. As soon as Ghirahim reached the top of the stairs in the entrance hall of the temple, a burst of fire and ice appeared in the air forming into a pair of old green skin women. Ghirahim had to fight to keep the sneer of his face, both women were hideous to look at. He noticed that they were identical in very way except one had a blue stone on her forehead and ice-blue stripes on her robe and the cap on the end of her hair and her sister had a red stone with red strips and a cap.

“Demon Lord Ghirahim,” The one with the blue stone said.

“The loyal right hand to our lord Demise,” the other witch said.

“I am Kotake the witch of Ice,” The first witch said.

“And I am Koume the witch of Fire,” her sister finished.

“I don’t remember my master having either of you in his service,” Ghirahim commented his arms crossed over his chest and his weight leaned onto one hip.

“Sadly we were not yet alive during the time of our lord,” Kotake said.

“But we learned of our lord in our youth from another loyal subject and dedicated ourselves to him,” Koume added. “We worked from the shadows for years to help bring his great power back into this world.”

“Though not in the form we originally intended,” Kotake said with a ‘hee-hee-hee-hee’ laugh. Ghirahim looked intrigued, they were ugly but he could feel the power rolling off of them and they claimed to be loyal to their master.

“Go on,” he said.

“We intended for the Gerudo King Ganondorf to house our master’s hate and power,” Kotake said. “The pervious Gerudo king had died and his mother lay dying as well. We were for the most part unknown to the rest of the Gerudo and had planned on swooping in and offer to raise their new king as our own.”

“But somehow that annoying woman not only survived but convinced the others that we were un-trustworthy,” her sister said next. “So we bid our time and had our next chance drop right into our laps.”

“Most of the races of Hyrule were driven by greed and fought over the right to claim the Tri-Force, the powerful relic that belongs to our master,” Kotake said.

“All but the races for the forest that is,” Koume added.

“Oh that must had been fun, seeing them rip each other apart,” Ghirahim said with a wicked grin, his wide eyes filled with an insane light.

“For a while, we egged on who we could, but the Hylian king Dhanphos grew weary of war and instead became to unite all of the races,” Kotake said.

“Dhanphos?” Ghirahim asked.

“The descendant of Hylia’s reborn form Zelda, for whom our dark queen is named for,” Koume said with another ‘hee-hee’ laugh. Ghirahim smirked slightly seeing the delicious irony of it all. “She and the Hero of the Sky settled here on the surface and their children’s children named this land Hyrule and became its rulers.”

“Our Queen believes she is the blood child of the late king, but she does not know this was a ruse to protect her and her mother,” Kotake said. “We… helped… the new queen to pass on after Zelda’s birth and after the war had ended offered our services as nurses for the young princess.”

“With a little help of our magic to convince the king of course, we had to work quickly before the Goddess’s dog was given the task,” Koume sneered as she thought of Impa. “We also convinced the king it would be better to… send away… the woman.”

Ghirahim started to laugh as he saw what the witches had done, they had secured the adopted daughter of the King of Hyrule and raised her in their beliefs grooming her to take over their master’s power and quest for power. The laugh had a heavy dose of insanity in it and he started to walk around the chamber spread his arms out wide.

“Oh what a _wonderful_ turn of events,” he said. “The only way it could have been better if she really had been Hylia’s descendant. Thought I suppose if she had been, your magics never would have worked on her. The… light…” his lips turned up into an ugly sneer at the word, “would have protected her.”

“Yes,” Kotake agreed.

“The girl serves her purpose well and soon our master’s hate and power will completely take her over,” Koume added.

“Tell me of the forest child, my mistress wishes for me to kill him,” Ghirahim said. “I can take out my _hate_ for the Sky child on the boy.”

“We believe that the boy Link is the current form of Hylia’s chosen hero,” Koume said. “That he carries the same spirit as the hero from the sky though they do not share a bloodline.”

“He has entered each of the temples of the Sages, places of power that our Queen Zelda had filled with her dark magics to help anchor her rule over Hyrule,” Kotake said next. “We killed the spirits of the pervious sages, all by the sage of Light who escaped into the Sacred Realm.”

“Sacred Realm?” Ghirahim asked.

“The realm where the Triforce rests usually,” Koume remarked.

“A realm of golden light,” Kotake added.

“But since Zelda has started to spread her power, it had become a realm of wonderful darkness,” Koume took back over.

“The boy from the forest has reawakened the new sages of the temples, taking power away from our mistress,” Kotake said.

“I feel her power here,” Ghirahim said.

“This is the last place within Hyrule where Zelda’s power still rest,” Kotake said then started to laugh with a ‘Hee-hee-hee’. “It must drive the Gerudo king crazy to know Zelda has so much power within his own lands.”

“So the Forest Child will be coming here?” Ghirahim asked.

“No doubt, he and the Sheikah boy,” Koume agreed. A glint of smoldering anger entered Ghirahim’s eye but he kept it under control, just barely.

“One of her grace’s dogs?” He asked.

“The boy is tasked with leading the Hero of Time to each temple and teaching him the song to whisk him back,” Kotake explained. Ghirahim let out a gleeful laugh.

“Well… we should greet our guests when they come, shouldn’t we,” The demon lord said then disappeared in a shower of diamonds. The witch sisters laughed and also disappeared in twin puffs of smoke.

 

**********

 

By the time Link and Sheik made it to Gerudo Valley, the sun was close to setting. Sheik would admit, only to himself, that he had greatly enjoyed the ride pressed up against Link’s back and holding onto the other teen as Epona raced across the fields. Link, too, had greatly enjoyed the experience. Not only the feel of the wind in his hair and his loyal steed under him, but the feel of Sheik holding onto him.

Link didn’t know what to make of the little pitter-pat his heart made when he was around Sheik. The way his whole being warmed when the other blond had kissed him. It had been nothing like the kisses Saria had given him, those had been the kiss of a best friend and sister figure. But Sheik’s kiss…. Link would be lying if he said he didn’t want to try another one. He just didn’t understand what these feelings meant… and he felt almost too shy to ask Sheik since the teen was the one who stirred up the feelings in Link.

So who could he ask? He couldn’t asked Saria or Fado, both of them were in the Sacred Realm. The same went for Darunia. Impa was Sheik’s mother, he couldn’t bring himself to ask her. He didn’t know Rauru well enough to ask. Ruto was out for sure since she had wanted to marry him right up to when she became a Sage.

Link’s eyes looked at his shoulder for a second as Epona walked up the ramp over the shallow pool of water, glancing at Navi. His fairy partner was a possibility… but no, this was not something he felt he could talk to Navi with. More than likely she would tell him to put it out of his mind since it had nothing to do with their quest.

“Look,” Navi said as she flew off Link’s shoulder to hover over his head. “The bridge is fixed!” Link and Sheik looked over at the bridge over the river, it had indeed been fixed. Sheik could see Mutoh and his four assistances packing up to leave.

“Mutoh!” Sheik called as they crossed the bridge. “You got the bridge fixed.”

“Now that those Gerudo weren’t stopping us, and these slackers finally decided to work,” Mutoh glared at one of the carpenters as the man passed, “it took us no time at all to fix the bridge. Fine piece of work it is too.” The man smiled and puffed up a little in pride. “They’re slackers, but once this lot starts working, they can make works of art.”

“Well it’s great,” Link said grinning. “It didn’t sway or anything when Epona walked across.”

“Haaaa!” Mutoh laughed and slapped his arm. “See? Fine, fine craftsmanship. We’re heading back to Kakariko Village now. Word is there was a bit of a fire and we should have some more work.”

“There was a fire,” Sheik said. “Those two witches started it, but the rain put the fires out. I remember there being a bit of damaged roofs and maybe a singed wall or two.” Mutoh shrugged his shoulders.

“Work is work,” he said then turned to his men. “Come on you slackers, get a move on!” Link, Sheik and Navi watched the carpenters leave. The only thing left to even tell that anyone had been there besides the new fixed bridge was a burnt out fire and that weird red headed guy who was sighing as he stared into the ashes. Link and Sheik decided to ignore the odd man and headed up toward the Gerudo Fortress.

As they rode, Link realized he could ask Ganondorf about his strange feelings about Sheik.

 

*******

 

Dark sighed deeply as he leaned against the window sill looking out into the desert. He was so _bored_ ; Ganondorf and all the girls in the fortress were busy and didn’t have time to play with him. And he really missed Link and wondered when his brother was coming back.

The fortress and the desert around it was an interesting place, at least it was different from the place he was in before. It was dry, sand was everywhere and everything was so brown and tan looking. It was hot during the day but got really cold at night. It was so hot during the day that Dark had to stop wearing his thick black tunic. He was given the same sort of puffy pants that the girls wore and a thin sleeve less shirt made out a light material. Dark reached up to touch the neat trinket that Ganon had given him, it was a medallion with a jeweled inlay in the shape of a Gerudo Dragonfly. Ganondorf had said it would protect him from the blond lady’s magic and keep her from controlling him. He thought the dragonfly was pretty looking.

A horn blaring down below caught Dark’s attention and his ears perked up when one of the sentinels said that someone was riding to the compound. Leaning out the window eagerly, Dark grinned widely when he saw the familiar forest green tunic and blond hair of his brother.

“Link!” Dark called waving his hands then yelping as he started to fall forward.

“Careful there puppy,” Ganondorf said with a chuckled as he caught Dark. Dark grinned again as Ganon pulled him back inside. “You don’t want to fall do you?”

“Link’s here!” Dark said in excitement. “I can’t wait to tell him about everything I’ve done while he was gone.”

“Then we should go down and greet him shouldn’t we?” Ganondorf suggested. Dark didn’t need any more prompt and raced out of the room and down corridors to go outside.

“Link! Link!” Dark called as he ran outside and met Link and Sheik as the blonds rode up on Epona.

“Dark,” Link said with a smile. He slid off Epona’s back and made an ‘omf’ sound as Dark glomped him. Sheik laughed as he dismounted Epona and caught Dark as the dark hair Hylian moved to glomp him next.

“I missed you too Sheik,” Dark said. Sheik smiled and patted Dark’s back.

“And I you,” he said as the dark Hylian released him. Ganondorf exited the fortress and clapped the boys on the shoulders.

“I see you’ve broken more of Zelda’s hold over the land. I’ve heard the reports of Lake Hylia filling back up,” he said to Link.

“He has also freed my people’s temple as well,” Sheik added while giving Link that same grateful look from before. “That only leaves the temple that your people guard.”

“Yeah, we need to get to it next,” Link added as Ganondorf lead them inside. Dark all but danced around them, happy as a clam that Link was back. Ganondorf uneasily cleared his throat.

“Yes… well we can talk about that over dinner. It is too dark to journey over the sands tonight,” he said. He motioned for one of his girls to have dinner set out. Sheik and Link traded confused glances, wondering what was on the desert king’s mind.

 

********

 

“Hey Ganon, I’ve been wondering,” Link said mid-way through the meal. “Where’s Nabooru? I haven’t seen her yet.” A dark look crossed Ganondorf’s face as he placed down his eating utensils causing a look of concern to pass between the three teens.

“My cousin… has been missing these past 7 years,” the large red headed man said.

“Missing? Wha… I don’t understand,” Link said. “Missing how?” Ganondorf sighed and pressed his finger tips together in front of his mouth as he leaned back in his seat.

“You asked about the Spirit Temple, when you arrived,” the desert king stated. He nodded his head toward a window that looked to the west. Link and Sheik both turned to look but could see nothing but the darkness of night through the window. “It is there, on the other side of the Haunted Wasteland. You will have to cross it to reach the Desert Colossus where the Spirit Temple rests. This fortress was built here in the valley not only as a guard against the main land of Hyrule but to guard the lands beyond the gate as well. If Zelda hadn’t killed her father and tainted the land as she had, the fortress would have become a way point between my people and Hyrule.”

“Yes well Zelda and the witches have done a lot to damage Hyrule,” Sheik said as he picked up his drink, taking a sip of it.

“So what happen to Nabooru then? Does it have something to do with the temple?” Link asked. Ganondorf’s lips quirked into a smile.

“Yes. To know the history of the temple, I must also tell you a bit about the history of the witches Koume and Kotake. Once, in their youth, they were members of the Gerudo people,” he explained.

“That makes a bit of sense,” Sheik mused. “Their robes match what some of your people wear.”

“Aye they do, but their hearts became corrupted and they began to worship a great evil that said to have existed in the far past,” Ganondorf explained. “Or so the story goes at any rate. Their powers allowed them to live far past the life span of a normal Gerudo mage and their use of their magic for evil had them banished from the tribe. After a few generations they were forgotten, banished to stories. Then they appeared again after my father, the pervious king Ganondorf, died.”

“He has the same name as you!” Dark said happily as he clapped his hands.

“You’re father name was Ganondorf?” Sheik asked surprised.

“Aye, as was my father’s father,” Ganondorf said with a little smirk.

“But… I always heard that the pervious Gerudo king’s name was King Cormack,” Sheik said. (3)

Ganondorf started to chuckle then roared in laughter, his fist pounding the table a bit.

“People still believe that about my people?” He asked.

“I… don’t understand,” Link asked, Dark nodding in agreement just as confused as his brother.

“It’s believed that the Gerudos are an all female race except their king who is born only every 100 years,” Navi explained. Sheik started to shake his head in amusement as he came to an understanding.

“But that is untrue isn’t it,” he commented.

“Cormack as the name of my great grandfather,” Ganondorf agreed with a grin. “The same name is used for three generations; I am the third to use the name Ganondorf. My future son will have a different name but he will give his son the same name and so on. People outside the desert believe we are all the same person.”

“That is… quiet clever,” Sheik realized with a laugh of his own. “It names more sense that one king born every 100 years.”

“Yes,” Ganondorf flicked away a tear from laughing too hard then took a deep breath. “As I was saying, my father, the pervious Ganondorf, died around the time of my birth and my mother was so deep in her grief that it was believed that she would die with him after I was brought into this world. Koume and Kotake appeared then and offered their services to act as surrogate mothers for me. They had been all but forgotten by this time and had been slowly placing themselves back among my people. No doubt to gain a position of power. It would have worked too except my mother came back to herself in time to hear of them, she is the people’s historian and knew who they were. Knowing that I and our people were in danger gave my mother the strength to recover and expose the witches for who they were.

“Kotake and Koume were chased away from our village deep in the desert and my mother acted as Queen until I was old enough to take the throne and lead the Gerudo people.”

“So the witches are chased away from you and your people and instead they wait until a new victim appeared, the king’s adopted daughter Zelda,” Sheik realized. “They somehow convinced the king to dismiss my mother, who was originally going to be put in charge of the princess, and became her nursemaids instead. Mother mentioned it many times, she always felt like she failed the royal family for letting this evil pass by her watch.”

“So if they had been able to go along with their original plan…” Link said with wide blue eyes. Ganondorf nodded seriously.

“It is quite possible it would have been me who you would be saving Hyrule from instead of Zelda.”

 

**************

 

(1) If you pay attention, you can see Ghirahim's left ear is rounded like a human's instead of pointed. It's kinda weird looking which I guess goes with his insane character.

 

(2) I honestly don't think the real temple of time exists in the physical world, all the temple of times are nothing but a shell and a doorway for the real temple which I bet is in the Sacred Realm like the Temple of Light and the chamber of the sages or outside of time itself. After all, the Temple of Time in TOOT and the upcoming Breath of the Wild use to be the Temple of Hylia in the games according to the current game lore, which I changed for the fic cause the placement if everything just never matched up for me. It doesn't help that the map's change in just about every game. The Lost Woods never stay in the same place!

 

(3) Interesting enough, when I looked up the meaning of Ganondorf's name it turns out it's Irish so I decided to go with that theme when choosing a name for his great grandfather.


	19. Chapter 19

The Switch of Fate

               By: USA Tiger

Disclaimer: The characters of The Legend of Zelda series belong to Nintendo.

Author Note: Yea! I managed to get 2 updates in one year… yeah I know that’s bad. So we’re trying out shorter chapters hoping I’ll post more.

OMG guys, Breath of the Wild is so good, I loved it! As you can see, I did include a couple of the new things we learned about the Gerudo in this chapter. It was great learning more about them and seeing more into the Sheikah.

 

Chapter was betaed by my main minion Asilyessam.

 

Chapter 19

 

The silence following that statement was so thick that it felt one could cut it with a sword. Link found the idea strange, he knew Ganondorf only as their ally and friend, but the man was an excellent fighter and magic wielder so Link could only imagine fighting against Ganon would be taxing. Sheik gulped, he knew more about the Greudo king than Link did, Ganondorf taking over Hyrule was horrifying as the man was powerful like Zelda was powerful. Navi could easily see it; after all up until her eyes had been open by Zelda’s actions she had already assumed Ganondorf _was_ their enemy.

Dark just reached over and grabbed another roll to munch on.

“Wow… I’m glad you’re on our side,” Link said at last.

“As am I kitten,” Ganondorf agreed.

“So what does this have to do with Link’s question?” Sheik asked.

“When we returned to the desert after fleeing Hyrule Castle Town, Nabooru went into Haunted Wasteland,” Ganondorf explained with a sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest. “She, like all Greudo vai and voe, know the witches use the Spirit Temple as their own personal hideout.”

“Vai? Voe?” Link asked confused.

“Oh, I know that one!” Dark said with an excited wiggle, all the girls here had taken time to teach him some of their native words “Vai is girl and voe boy! Right Ganon?”

“That is correct puppy,” Ganondorf praised the excitable teen who wiggled happily at the praise. “They are how the Greudo refer to female and males.”

“Off topic, but since we’re wrong about the ‘one male born every 100 years’ thing, are there other Greudo men?” Sheik asked curious.

“Yes,” Ganondorf confirmed. “Greudo voes are rare, and the two sexes live separately unless they are wed. Other than the voes from the royal family,” here Ganon tapped his chest indicating himself, “no men are allowed within the towns. Though there are those who surly sneak in, if they can get past the guards. The temple, my palace and the Arbiter’s Grounds are the only truly neutral grounds for both sexes.”

“Wow… I didn’t know there were other places than here,” Link said. Ganondorf chuckled and smirked.

“This is just a fortress Link,” the king said. “The desert is a harsh place with the searing sun during the day and the cold bitter winds at night, but there are places of beauty there. If we are able to resolve things we’re hoping to open trade with central Hyrule… though voes will still not be allowed within the cities.”

“That is still a ways off,” Navi said. “I’m assuming Nabooru never came back?” Ganondorf sighed and nodded his head.

“Yes, that foolish vai went to the temple and was never seen again. We do not know if she was killed or captured. The vais here within the fortress guard the gate to the Haunted Wasteland and the voes that guard the boarders know to stay away,” he agreed then looked at Link. “But I will have the gates opened for you so you may journey to the Spirit Temple.”

“Thanks Ganondorf,” Link said before shoveling a mouthful of the now cold dinner into his mouth. He pondered for a moment what it was going to be like crossing the desert, wasn’t sand a little hard to walk on? He knew the sandbars at the lakes were. “Errr… so I guess I can’t ride Epona across the desert, do I have to walk?”

“Ohh! He can take one of the sand seals!” Dark said in excitement.

“What’s a sand seal?” Link asked in confusion. He didn’t even know what a ‘seal’ was.

“An animal that appears like a seal like you would find in the sea,” Ganondorf explained. “But they have adapted to living in the desert.”

“I’ve never heard of that,” Sheik said. Ganondorf nodded in understanding.

“As far as I know they only exist in my kingdom. They are able to move through sand like a seal from the sea can move through water. We have tamed many of them and taught them to tow us across the sands, it’s a quick way to travel over the dunes.”

“They are so cute,” Dark added. “The lady back on the archery range who watches the horses and seals lets me pet and play with them. They are sleeping right now, but I can show you in the morning Link.”

“They are your best bet to getting across the desert quickly,” Ganondorf agreed. “Still I would exercise caution there are many dangers within the sands.”

“What sort of dangers?” Link asked.

“Within the sand dunes itself?” Ganon leaned back in his chair thinking. “Leevers will be what you will run into the most, but they are weak creatures so you shouldn’t have any problems with them. Moldroms are a possibility though they do not typically hunt in the Haunted Wasteland nor do Moldugas so you are safe from them. Geldmen will sometimes appear, they are magical constructs made of sand which may be close to the temple. Electric Keese live within the desert as well.”

“That’s a lot,” Link said.

“It is but a few enemies we deal with in the desert,” Ganondorf said. “But not many hunt in the Haunted Wastelands as so few people go through there. They prefer the more populated areas of my kingdom. There is of course no telling what is inside the Spirit Temple itself, what traps and creatures the witches have placed there.”

“It’ll be much like the rest of the temples I bet,” Navi said with a flutter of wings as she rose from the table and went to hover by Link’s head. “But I think we should get some shut eye now.”

“I guess,” Link said as he stood as did Sheik and Dark.

“We have a guest room prepared but you will have to share,” Ganondorf told Link and Sheik. Neither of the teens had a problem with that and collapsed on the bed in the room they were given after dressing down, falling asleep instantly.

 

*********

 

Link was the first to wake the next morning, something rare as Link was a heavy sleeper at the best of times and liked to sleep in. He gazed at Sheik in the soft morning light, feeling butterflies flutter in his stomach and his heart felt warm. He didn’t understand what the feelings meant, not really, but he didn’t feel these sorts of feelings around anyone else. He liked the feelings, it made him feel good.

Link reached out and carefully traced his fingers over Sheik’s cheek and pushed back the other’s golden blond hair that usually covered nearly half of Sheik’s face. Sheik’s nose scrunched up slightly and his ear twitched then settled back down, his breath ghosting over Link’s arm. Link blushed and pulled his hand back not wanting to wake Sheik.

He sat up and looked around, Navi was still asleep as well curled up on his hat that he laid on the table. Her wings fluttered slightly in her sleep and she made soft little sounds as she moved. Link slowly climbed off the bed, pulling his tunic on over his undershirt but forwent his boots and belt for now as well as his hat since Navi was sleeping on it. Link quietly left the room, shutting the door gently so not to wake the others.

Link passed a few of the Gerudo girls patrolling the hallways of the fortress, one or two nodded to him but otherwise didn’t interact. Link soon found a quiet hallway with windows that overlooked the desert, leaning against the edge to look out.

“You are up early, kitten,” Ganondorf’s voice said to his left as the Gerudo king joined him. Link startled a little bit, he was sure he had been alone in the room and for a man so large he moved to quietly.

“I couldn’t really sleep anymore,” he said as he glanced up at Ganondorf, the red headed man was gazing out the window at something in the distance. When Link looked back out he tried to spot what it was Ganon was seeing, there was a large dark spot on the horizon that could possibility be the Spirit Temple. “It’s kinda hard to believe I’m so close to the end, that’s the last temple then it’s only Zelda left.”

“You have done much to help heal this land Link,” Ganondorf said. “I’m sure everyone across Hyrule is grateful toward you.” Link blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn’t use to anyone thanking him, not like that. He did like the way Sheik had thanked him after the Shadow Temple. Reminded now what he had hoped to speak to Ganondorf about, Link turned to face the older man.

“Can I ask a question?” he asked, continuing when Ganondorf nodded his head. “I’ve… had been feeling strange lately, around Sheik.”

“In what way?” Ganondorf asked keeping the amusement creeping into his voice as he already had an idea where this was going. He had seen the looks the boys were giving each other in the short time he known both. Sheik adored the other boy and Link cared very deeply for his friend, he wasn’t sure if it was full on love yet but if they kept on the path they were on it would be one day.

Link blushed again and rubbed at his arm as he answered, “a strange feeling in my stomach, like there are butterflies in here… my body feels warm when he brushes up against me or presses up against me when he rides Epona behind me. He… he kissed me the other day…”

“Did you enjoy the kiss?” Ganondorf asked.

“Yeah, I really liked it… but I don’t think it was the same type of kisses Saria would give me growing up. It didn’t really feel the same,” he said.

“Do the Kokiri have things such as spouses?” Ganondorf asked briefly changing the subject. Link frowned in confusion and shook his head.

“The Kokiri never grow into adults, their families are their siblings. Some might like each other a lot, I think Mido really liked Saria…” Link trailed off thinking. “Is it like that? The way Mido likes Saria?”

“What you are describing is called attraction,” Ganondorf explained. “You care very deeply for Sheik do you not? You worry for him? You like spending a lot of time with him?” Link nodded yes to all these questions. “You’re feeling love for him, it seems so strange to you as you missed out on many of what others your age experienced growing up.”

“Oh… so it’s normal?” Link asked.

“Yes but this is something you and Sheik will have to figure out for yourselves as it involves the both of you,” Ganondorf said. “You said you like what you feel for him, see if he feels the same for you which it is a very good possibility since he is the one who kissed you first, then take it from there.”

“I… think I understand,” Link said. Ganondorf chuckled and laid his hand on Link’s shoulder.

“Love is never truly understood Link, but that is half the fun of figuring it out,” he said. Link smiled up at Ganondorf and nodded in understanding.

 

**********

 

Sheik yawned as he sat up, blinking sleepily as Link entered the room carrying a tray with food.

“Hey,” Link said with a tiny blush on his cheeks when he noticed Sheik awake and watching him. Sheik yawned again then smiled as he moved to the edge of the bed.

“Good morning,” Sheik stretched his arms above his head, his shirt riding up to show off a strip of skin. “I am surprised to see you up already,” he teased playfully.

“It does happen,” Link joked with him as the tray was sat down on the table in the room. Navi woke up to the smell of food.

“Oh goody, you brought breakfast,” she said as she snagged a tiny piece of warm bread with honey glaze.

“They got more food in the kitchens here, maybe you should go see what you like,” Link said. Navi frowned and looked up at her charge.

“Why in the name of the Goddesses would I do that?” she asked.

“Please Navi, I need to talk to Sheik…. _Alone_ ,” he said the last word pointedly. Navi huffed and looked to Link then over to Sheik who looked confused as he joined Link at the table then sighed.

“Fine, I know when I’m not wanted,” she said flying up into the air out the window to look for the kitchen.

“It must be pretty important for you to send her away,” Sheik said as he prepared himself a plate. Link blushed and scratched at his cheek embarrassed, his ears drooping a bit.

“It’s more… I just don’t want her here for this, I don’t think she would be very happy,” he said. “And it’s really private.” Sheik gently placed his utensils back on the table and crossed his arms on the table top, leaning toward Link.

“Link, what is wrong?” He asked gently.

“Yesterday, when you kissed me,” Link started softly, Sheik immediately jumping to conclusions.

“Link, I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable-“ he started saying. Link quickly shook his head.

“No no, that’s just it. I liked it, I like everything you do,” Link said quickly then blushed. “I felt warn and my chest fluttered and I liked it a lot. I… I asked Ganondorf what that meant, he explained to me that the reason you make me feel good is because I like you… and he said I should talk to you about it.”

Sheik sighed, feeling both relief and… well he felt so many things at that moment he couldn’t even start name them. He moved his chair closer to Link and took the other’s hands in his, he hadn’t known how to approach this subject or even if he should. Yes he felt deeply for Link, he had for years. It started as a small crush when they met as children and only grown once they met again as adults. But Sheik hadn’t know how Link might feel about all this and honestly they were in the middle of a battle for the fate of Hyrule and her people, maybe even the world.

“Link, I do care for you,” he said softly then took a chance to press a kiss to Link’s fingers, watching the other boy blush. “I care for you deeply; I have for a long time. It started when we were children. I had no idea if you would even feel the same, or even if it would be brought up while we are in the middle of what we are doing.”

“I guess it’s hard to think about something like that when you’re in the middle of fighting like we are,” Link said with a soft chuckle. Sheik’s own rich chuckle joined his.

“It is, but by Hylia, I can’t deny that hearing that you feel something for me makes me happy,” Sheik said, looking down at their intertwined hands. “Look, we both know now is not the right time to fully explore what we could have as much as I would love too.” Link nodded, stopping Zelda and her plans were important, even before budding love. “If we survive this… no _when_ , then we shall have all the time in the world to fully explore what we can be together.”

“Okay… yeah I can agree with that but…” Link bit his lip as he looked into Sheik’s ruby red eyes. “Can I have another one of those kisses?” Sheik blinked then smiled, cupping Link’s cheek and drawing the other into a proper kiss this time. Link’s hands clutched at his arms and a breathy sigh escaped the young hero, loving how the kiss made him feel. This helped remind him what he was working toward, a safe Hyrule and a chance a future with Sheik. It would be enough for now.

 

************

 

Sand seals were as cute as Dark claimed, most were a reddish color with darker red fur around their heads and fins with whiteish colored fur on their face and underbelly. They also had a tuff of fur on their backs that looked like a fin, or a mohawk-like hairstyle, and a pair of long walrus-like tusks coming from their mouths. A few of the seals had a bit of a golden brown color to them.

The sand seals patiently waited in an open pen, some eating fruit in a trough while others sunned themselves on the warms sands. Dark was standing in the pin petting a few of the seals.

They were also _huge_ , almost as big as a horse and easily taller than Link.

“Sand surfing is easy once you get the hang of it,” Tokili, the Gerduo woman who watched over both the horses the Gerudo used when they left the desert and the sand seals, said. She was, like almost all the other Gerudo’s Link had met, tall with cropped short crimson red hair, golden eyes and dark skinned wearing common Gerudo clothing in shades of whites and grays. “You stand on top of your shield and hang onto the reins, just tug on the rein which way you want the seal to turn.”

She got Link into position behind the sand seal she brought out for him. “Yes, like this. Very good, quick learner you are. Ready to give it a try?”

“I… guess?” Link said with uncertainty. Tokili snapped the reins for him and the sand seal took off, surprising Link as he was pulled off his shield by the lurch with a yell. He quickly let go of the reins and rolled a few feet across the sand.

“Hylia!” Sheik said alarmed as he ran over to Link’s side. “Are you alright?” Dark climbed out of the pin quickly to kneel on Link’s other side, looking at his brother worriedly.

“Not a very good first try,” Navi commented dryly still a little sore about being sent out of the room earlier. Link sat up and spat a little bit of sand out of his mouth.

“Ow… I’m fine,” he said rubbing his head. The sand seal, sensing its rider had fallen off, scooted back over to Tokili’s side.

“Well, it could have been worse,” Tokili said as she tapped her chin with a long finger. “You need to plant your feet firmly on the shield and sorta dig in to keep your balance. Hook a foot into one of the handholds on the back, that’ll help keep it under your feet.”

Link tried again, taking Tokili’s advice as he slipped a booted foot into one of the grips on the back then taking the reins up once again. When he snapped the reins to get the sand seal to move, he was nearly pulled off his feet again but this time managed to stay upright, the shield dragging across the sands. As he tried turning Link nearly lost his balance again, sand surfing was utterly different from riding a horse, but as he got use to the pull the sand seal had on the reins and figured out how to keep his balance on top of the shield Link started to really get the hang of it. Navi clung to Link’s tunic as they raced around the training grounds.

“Go Link!” Sheik cheered as Link and the sand seal whizzed by.

“Yea! You did it!” Dark also cheered, jumping up and down in excitement.

“Like I said, the kid’s a natural,” Tokili said nodding her head. Link did a couple of more circuits around the training grounds then pulled the sand seal to a stop, nearly tipping forward as the shield kept going forward from the momentum. “That part takes a bit of practice but I think you got it.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” Link said a wide grin. “Different from riding my horse but thrilling all the same. But I’m wondering, what if I’m attacked while going across the sands?”

“Well you can either pull the seal to a stop and use your sword or with a bit of practice you can use your bow while the sand seal pulls you,” Tokili explained, showing Link how to loop the reins around his arm and use his bow. “Practice a bit on the range here, until you get the hang of it. Or you can just out run your foes, very few things in the desert are as fast as a sand seal.”

The sand seal took off again at Link’s command and a few false starts Link was soon was racing down the practice field hitting a bull’s-eye on nearly every target. It wasn’t easy both aiming and using the bow, keeping his balance on the shield as it moved and keeping a hold of the reins, he couldn’t even steer the seal while using his bow at the same time so he had to trust that the sand seal would keep them from crashing much like Link had to trust Epona when he performed a feat of archery from her back.

But Link’s natural skill at the bow and how fast he learned how to master sand surfing had Link mastering the archery range after two more runs. Tokili was impressed and promised Link a better quiver _if_ he could repeat the same feat while on horseback.

Which he easily accomplished as Epona galloped down the range, Link trusting Epona while he took down each of the targets. He was rewarded the quiver by the impressed Tokili and a smile and a small kiss to his cheek by Sheik. Navi groaned and muttered to herself as she figured out just what Link and Sheik had been speaking of when she was told to leave the room. She should have seen it coming, the fairy saw how close the two had gotten and the feelings each boy had for the other.

Sheik was also given a crash course in sand surfing; he actually had an easier time getting the hang of it with his natural balance and training in the ninja-like ways of the Sheikah. He found using his whip and throwing needles quite easy as he could wield both with one hand while the other steered the sand seal. But he didn’t get as much as a thrill for the sport as Link did.

Once Link’s crash course in sand surfing was finished, he, Dark, and Sheik met Ganondorf at the gate that lead into the Haunted Wastes. The sand seal Link had learned to sand surf with stood by their side waiting.

“Once you leave the gate, you will see a series of markers leading to a safe rest spot in the Wastelands,” Ganondorf explained. “Poles with red cloth tied to them, it is easy to get lost within the sand storms. Here, you will need these.” Link was handed a hooded cloak, a scarf and a pair of goggles. (1)

“What are they for?” Link asked as he held up the dark blue cloak with the Gerudo symbol on the back in white.

“Protection from the sands,” Ganondorf helped Link pull on the cloak and the goggles then showed him how to wrap the scarf around his neck and face. It was loose much like the one Sheik liked to wear to cover up the lower half of his face.

“Ganon said you need these too!” Dark held up the water skins. “He said you and the glowing bug need to drink a lot of water.”

“I am not a bug!” Navi yelled, the glow around her body turning red in frustration for just a moment.

“Even in a sand storm the heat in the desert could kill you,” Ganondorf said. “The water is mixed fruits that grow here in the desert that should help keep you cooled off. Some of those water skins are for Sheik as well.” Dark handed both blonds water skins then hugged Link.

“Be careful brother,” he said snuggling close as Link hugged him back then pulled away. “I’ll be training in the training grounds here, to make sure my fighting skills stay up so I can help you against the scary lady.”

“Is that gonna be safe for him?” Sheik asked Ganondorf.

“He is out of her control and the amulet he wears offers him protection against both Zelda and her pet witches,” Ganondorf assured him. “The chain is enchanted with the strongest protection spell I know to keep it from breaking.” Sheik nodded and hoped it would be enough.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Link said as he got set up behind the sand seal.

“Open the gate!” Ganondorf called up to the Gerudo guard at the top. She pulled the level that would open the gate, it opening with a thundering clack. Link nodded to the other’s then snapped the reins, heading into the Haunted Wastelands.

 

*************

 

(1) I figured with glasses and remote bombchus being a thing, plus the fact they had goggles looking head gear in Skyward Sword, it was reasonable to assume goggles are a thing in Hyrule.


End file.
